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Movable Comb Hive, with ojlass on all sides. 



PRACTICAL TREATISE 



HIVE AND HONEY-BEE, 

BY L. L. LANGSTKOTH, 



WITH AN INTEODUCTION, BY REV. ROBERT BAIRD, D.D. 



0013 mOTHER SHOCTi^ 




"^^ QcJEEN OF A Hi^?^^ 



SECOND EDITION, ENLARGED, AND ILLUSTRATED ■WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS. 



NEW YORK : 
C. M. SAXTON & CO., 

Agricultural Booksellers — 40 Fulton street. 
1857, 



^^ 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by 

L. L. LANGSTEOTH, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



C. A. MIRICK, PRINTER, GREENFIELD, MS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



I AM happy to learn from my friend Mr. Langstroth, 
that a new edition of his work on the economy and proper 
treatment of the Honey-Bee, is called for ; I consider it 
by far the most valuable treatise on this subject, which 
has come under my notice. Some years before it was 
published, I became acquainted with the main character- 
istics of the method which he pursues and which it 
describes. Even then, I believed that method to be in- 
comparably superior to all others of which I had either 
read or heard. This conviction has been amply strength- 
ened by the testimony of others, as well as by results 
which have come under my own observation. 

In my earlier life I had no inconsiderable experience 
in the management of bees, and I am bold to say that the 
hive which Mr. Langstroth has invented, is in all respects 



iv INTRODUCTION. 

greatly superior to any which I have ever seen, either in 
this or foreign countries. Indeed, I do not believe that 
any one who takes an intelligent interest in the rearing of 
bees, can for a moment hesitate to use it ; or, rather, can 
be induced to use any other, when he becomes acquainted 
with its nature and merits. 

At length the true secret has been discovered, of 
making these most industrious, interesting and useful of 
insect-communities, work in habitations both comfortable 
to themselves and wonderfully convenient for their aggre- 
gation, division and rapid increase ; and all this without 
diminishing their productive labor, or resorting to the 
cruel measure of destroying them. 

Mr. Langstroth teaches us in his book, how bees can 
be taken care of without great labor, and without the risk 
of suffering from the weapon Avhich the Creator has given 
them for self-defence. Even a dehcate lady need not 
fear to undertake the task of cultivating this fascinating 
branch of rural economy. Nothing is easier for any 
family that resides in a favorable situation, than to have 
a number of colonies, and this at but little expense. I 
sincerely hope that many will avail themselves of the 
facilities now placed before them, for prosecuting this easy 
branch of industry, not only for the sake of the large 
profit in proportion to its expense, which it may be made 
to yield, but also for the substantial pleasure which they 



INTRODUCTION. V 

may find in observing the habits of these wonderful little 
creatures. How remarkably does their entire economy 
illustrate the wisdom and skill of the Great Author of 
all things. 

I cannot but believe that many of the Ministers of the 
Gospel, residing in rural districts, will accept of Mr. 
Langstroth's most generous offer to give them the free 
use of his Invention. With very little labor or expense, 
they can derive from bee-keeping considerable profit, as 
well as much pleasure. No industrial or material em- 
ployment could be more innocent or less inconsistent with 
their proper work. 

There are few portions of our country which are not 
admirably adapted to the culture of the honey-bee. The 
wealth of the nation might be increased by millions of 
dollars, if every family favorably situated for beekeeping 
would keep a few hives. No other branch of industry 
can be named, in which there need be so little loss on the 
material that is employed ; or which so completely 
derives its profits from the vast and exhaustless domains 
of Nature. 

I trust that Mr. Langstroth's labors will contribute 
greatly to promote a department of rural economy, which 
in this country has hitherto received so little scientific 
attention. He well deserves the name of Benefactor ; 
infinitely more so than many who have in all countries 



VI INTRODUCTION. 

and in all ages received that honorable title. Not many 
years will pass away without seeing his important inven- 
tion brought into extensive use, both in the Old and New 
World. Its great merits need only to be known ; and 
this Time will certainly bring about. 

R. BAIRD. 

New York, March 5th, 1857. 



PREFACE. 



Grateful for the favor with which this Treatise on the Hive 
and Honey-Bee has been received, the Author respectfully submits 
to the candid perusal of his Readers, a Revised Edition, illus- 
trated by numerous beautiful wood-cuts, and containing the re- 
sults of his latest discoveries and improvements. The information 
here presented, is believed to constitute a decided advance, in some 
important respects, on anything which has hitherto been furnished 
to the Apiarian Public ; and while specially adapted to the wants 
of those who use the Movable-Comb Hive, it aims to set forth the 
true principles which lie at the foundation of all profitable Bee- 
Keeping, with any hive or on any system of management. 

Debarred to a painful extent, by the state of his health, from 
the more appropriate duties of his Sacred Office, and compelled to 
seek some employment calling him as much as possible into the 
open air, the Author indulges the hope that the result of his labors 
in an important department of Rural Economy, may prove ser- 
viceable to the community as well as to himself Such has been 
the satisfaction which he has taken in these researches, that he has 
felt desirous of awakening a more general interest in a pursuit, 
not merely profitable in its pecuniary results, but most admirably 
adapted to instruct and delight all intelligent observers. Scientific 
Bee-keeping is regarded, in Europe, as an Intellectual pursuit, and 
no one who studies the wonderful habits of this useful Insect, need 
apprehend that the materials for new observations will ever become 
exhausted. The Creator has stamped the seal of his own Infinity, 
on all his works, so that it is impossible even in his minutest pro- 



viii PREFACE. 

dacts to exhaust the store-house of the Divine Knowledge, so as 
" by searching " to " find out the Almighty to perfection." But 
while " a present Deity " may be seen in all the wide extent of 
Animated Nature, in few things has He displayed himself more 
clearly than in the wise economy of the Honey-Bee : 

" What well appointed commonwealths ! where each 
Adds to the stock of happiness for all ; 
Wisdom's own forums ! whose professors teach 
Eloquent lessons in their vaulted hall ! 
Galleries of art ! and schools of industry ! 
Stores of rich fragrance 1 Orchestras of song ! 
What marvellous seats of hidden alchymy ! 
How oft, when wandering far and erring long, 
Man might learn truth and virtue from the BEE !" 

Bowring. 

The attention of Ministers of the Gospel is particularly invited 
to the study of this branch of Natural History. An intimate ac- 
quaintance with the wonders of the Bee-Hive, while benfieial to 
them in various ways, might lead them, by drawing their illustra- 
tions more from natural objects and the world around them, to adapt 
them better to the comprehension and sympathies of those who 
hear them ; they would thus, in their preaching, imitate more 
closely the example of their Lord and Master, whose practice it 
was to illustrate his teachings, from the birds of the air, the lilies 
of the field, and the common walks of life and pursuits of men. 

It affords me sincere pleasure to acknowledge my obligations to 
Mr. Samuel Wagner, of York, Pennsylvania, for material assis- 
tance in the preparation of this Treatise : to his extensive and 
accurate acquaintance with bee-keeping in Germany, my readers 
are indebted for much exceedingly valuable information. 

L. L. LANGSTROTH. 

Philadelphia, March 10th, 1857. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Chapter. Page. 

I. Facts connected with the invention of the Movable-Comb 

Hive, 13 

II. The Honey-Bee capable of being tamed or domesticated, 

to a surprising degree, 25 

III. The Qaeen or Mother Bee, the Drones and the Workers ; 

with highly important facts in their Natural History, . 30 

IV. Comb, 77 

V. Propolis or "Bee-Glue," . ...... 86 

VI. Pollen or "Bee-Bread, 90 

VII. On the advantages which ought to be found in a good 

Hive, 98 

VIII. Protection against extremes of Heat and Cold, sudden and 
severe changes of Temperature, and Dampness in 

the Hives, 114 

IX. Ventilation of the Hive, 124 

X. Natural Swarming and Hiving of Swarms, . . . 136 

XL Artificial Swarming, 166 

XII. The Bee-Moth, and other Enemies of Bees. Diseases of 

Bees, . 242 

XIII. Loss of the Queen, 277 

XIV. The Apiary, Procuring Bees to start it. Transferring 

Bees from the Common, to the Movable-Comb Hive, . 299 

XV. Uniting Stocks. Wintering Bees, 314 

XVI. Robbing, and how prevented, 334 

XVII. Directions for Feeding Bees, 345 

XVIII. Honey. Pasturage. Overstocking, .... 371 



X CONTENTS. 

Chapter. Page, 

XIX. The Anger of Bees. Remedies for their Sting. Instincts 

of Bees, 406 

XX. On the proper Size, Shape, and Materials for Hives. Ob- 
serving Hives, 429 

XXI. The Italian Honey-Bee, 440 

XXII. Bee-Keeper's Calendar. Bee-Keeper's Axioms, . . 458 

Appendix, 469 

Explanation of Plates, 481 

Wood-Cuts of Movable-Comb Hives, of various Implements used 

in the Apiary, and of Bees and Comb^ . . . 493 
Copious Alphabetical Index, ...*... 510 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



L. L. LANGSTROTH'S MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 
Patented October 5th, 1853. 



Each comb in this hive is attached to a separate movable 
frame, and by following the directions given in this Treatise, 
they may be all taken out in a few minutes, without cutting 
or injuring them in the least, or at all enraging the bees. 
By this arrangement, weak stocks may be easily strengthen- 
ed, by helping them to combs, honey, or maturing brood taken 
from strong ones, and queenless colonies saved from certain 
ruin, by giving them the means of obtaining another queen. 

As all the stocks in the Apiary, by the control of the 
combs, can be kept strong in numbers and in possession of a 
fertile queen, the ravages of the bee-moth may be effectually 
prevented. 

If the bee-keeper suspects that anything is the matter with 
a hive, he can open it, and by actual examination of its 
combs, ascertain, in a few minutes, its true condition, and 
thus apply intelligently the remedies which it needs. 

New colonies may be formed in less time than is usually 
required for hiving natural swarms ; or the hive may be 
managed on the common swarming plan, or enlarged, (with- 
out any alteration of existing parts,) so as to afford ample ac- 
commodation for a non-swarming stock. 

By a very simple arrangement, the queen may be confin- 
ed to the hive while the workers have their liberty, so that 
bees may be left at any time, without the least risk of their 
swarming in the absence of the bee-keeper. The drones 
when in full flight may, by the same device, be excluded 
from ihe hive and destroyed. 

The surplus honey may be stored in an upper box, in 
frames so secured as to admit of safe transportation, any one 
of which may be taken out separately and disposed of; or if 



XU ADVERTISEMENT. 

preferred, it may be stored in small boxes or glasses, in con- 
venient, beautiful and salable forms. 

Colonies may be safely transferred from any other hive to 
this, at all seasons of the year, (see p. 70,) as their combs with 
all their contents can be removed with them, and easily fas- 
tened in the frames ; and if this operation is skilfully perform- 
ed in the gathering season, the colony, in a few hours, will 
work as vigorously in the new, as they did in the old hive. 

If the combs of the bee-hive can be easily removed, and 
with safety both to the bees and the operator, then every en- 
lightened bee-keeper will admit, that a complete revolution 
must eventually be effected in the management of bees. 

This hive has been in use for a sufficient length of time to 
test its value, and is beginning to be adopted by some of the 
largest bee-keepers. The Inventor can safely say that since 
the issue of the patent he has spent tenfold as much time 
in efforts to perfect the hive, as he has in endeavoring to in- 
troduce it to the public. This hive can be made in a sim- 
ple, cheap and durable form, or may be constructed with 
glass on all sides, (see Plates I and VII.) 

An individual or farm right to use this invention, will be 
sold for five dollars. Such a right entitles the purchaser to 
use, and construct for his own use, on his own premises, 
and not otherwise, any number of hives. Ministers of the 
Gospel are permitted to use the hive without any charge. 
Those purchasing individual rights are hereby informed that 
the Inventor has expressly secured to them the right to use 
any improvements which he may hereafter patent, without 
any further charge. The book will be sent, postage paid, to 
any one enclosing one dollar and 16 three cent stamps, to 
Dr. J. Beals, Greenfield, Mass. 

Applications for individual and territorial rights, in the 
New England States, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 
Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, 
California and the Territories, may be addressed to R. C. 
Otis, Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

For rights in any of the States not above named, address 
P. J. Mahan, 146 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 



CHAPTER I. 

Facts connected with the Invention of the Movable-comb Bee-Hive, 

The present condition of practical bee-keeping in this 
country, is known to be deplorably low. From the great 
mass of farmers and others most favorably situated for 
obtaining honey, it receives not the slightest attention. Not- 
withstanding the large number of patent hives which have 
been introduced, and often as a direct consequence of their 
use, the ravages of the bee-moth have increased, and success 
is becoming more and more precarious. Multitudes have 
abandoned the pursuit in disgust, while many of the most 
experienced are fast settling down into the conviction that 
all the so-called " Improved Hives " are delusions or impos- 
tures, and that they must return to the simple box or hollow 
log, and " take up " their bees with sulphur, in the old- 
fashioned way. 

In the present state of public opinion, it requires no little 
courage to venture upon the introduction of another patent 
hive, and an entirely new system of management ; but I feel 
confident that a new era in bee-keeping has arrived, and 
invite the attention of all interested, to the reasons for this 
belief. A perusal of this Manual, will, I trust, convince 
them that there is a better way than any with which they 
have yet become acquainted. They will here find many 
hitherto mysterious points in the physiology of the honey* 
bee, clearly explained, and much valuable information never 
before communicated to the public. 
2 



14 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 

It is now more than seventeen years since I first turned 
my attention to the cultivation of bees. The state of my 
health having compelled me, of late years, to live more and 
more in the open air, I have devoted a large portion of my 
time to a careful investigation of their habits, and to a series 
of minute and thorough experiments in the construction, of 
hives, and the best methods of managing them, so as to 
secure the largest practical results. 

Very early in my Apiarian studies, I procured an imported 
copy of the work of the celebrated Huber, and constructed 
a hive on his plan, which furnished me with favorable oppor- 
tunities of verifying some of his most valuable discoveries ; 
and I soon found that the prejudices existing against him, 
were entirely unfounded. Believing that his discoveries laid 
the foundation for a more extended and profitable system of 
bee-keeping, I began to experiment with hives of various 
construction. 

The result of these investigations fell very far short of my 
expectations. I became, however, most thoroughly con- 
vinced that no hives were fit to be used in exposed situations, 
unless they furnished uncommon protection against extremes 
of heat, and, in our Northern States, more especially of cold. 
I accordingly discarded all thin hives made of inch stuff, and 
constructed my hives of doubled materials, enclosing a 
" dead air" space all around. 

These hives, although more expensive in the first cost, 
proved to be much cheaper in the end, than those I had 
previously used. The bees wintered remarkably well in 
them, and swarmed early and with unusual regularity. 
Some of them now stand in my Apiary, in Greenfield, Mas- 
sachusetts, containing vigorous stocks in their twelfth year, 
which, without feeding, have endured all the vicissitudes of 
some of the worst seasons ever known for bees. My next 



MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 15 

Step in advance, was, while I secured my surplus honey in 
the most convenient, beautiful and salable forms, "so to facili- 
tate the entrance of the bees into the honey receptacles, as 
to obtain the largest fruits from their labors. 

Although I felt confident that my hive possessed some 
valuable peculiarities, I still found myself unable to remedy 
many of the perplexing Ccfsualties to which bee-keeping is 
liable. I was now convinced that no hive could be made to 
answer my expectations unless it gave me the complete coil' 
trol of the comhs^ so that I might remove any, or all of them 
at pleasure. The use of the Huber hive had convinced me 
that with proper precautions, the combs might be removed 
without enraging the bees, and that these insects were capa- 
ble of being domesticated or tamed, to a most surprising 
degree. A knowledge of these facts was absolutely neces- 
sary to the further progress of my invention, for without it, 
I should have regarded a hive designed to allow of the 
removal of the combs, as quite too dangerous in use, to be 
of any practical value. At first, I used movable slats or bars 
placed on rabbets in the front and back of the hive. The 
bees were induced to build their combs upon these bars, and 
in carrying them down, to fasten them to the sides of the 
hive. - By severing the attachments to the sides, I was able, 
at any time, to remove the combs suspended from the bars. 
There was nothing new in the use of movable bars ; the 
invention being probably, at least, a hundred years old ; and 
I had myself used such hives on Gelding's plan, as recom- 
mended by Bevan, very early in the commencement of my 
experiments. The chief peculiarity in my hives, as now 
constructed, was the facility with which these bars could be 
removed without enraging the bees, and their combination 
with my new mode of obtaining the surplus honey. 

With hives of this construction I commenced experimenting 



16 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 

on a larger scale than ever, and soon arrived at results which 
proved to be of the very first importance, I found myself 
able, when I wished it, to dispense entirely with natural 
swarming, and yet to multiply colonies with much greater 
rapidity and certainty than by the common methods. I could, 
in a few minutes, strengthen my feeble colonies, and furnish 
those which had lost their Queen with the means of obtain- 
ing another. If I suspected that anything was the matter 
with a hive, I could ascertain its true condition by making a 
thorough examination of every part, and if the worms had 
gained a lodgment, I could quickly dispossess them. In 
short, I could perform all the operations which will be ex- 
plained in this treatise, and I believed that bee-keeping 
could be made highly profitable, and as much a matter of 
certainty, as any other branch of rural economy. 

I perceived, however, that one thing was yet wanting. 
The cutting of the combs from their attachments to the sides 
of the hive, in order to remove them, was attended with 
much loss of time, both to myself and the bees, and in order 
to facilitate this operation, the construction of my hive was 
necessarily somewhat complicated. This led me to invent 
a method by which the combs were attached to movable 
FRAMES, and suspended in the hives, so as to touch neither 
the top, bottom, nor sides. By this device, I was able to 
remove the combs at pleasure, and if desired, I could spee- 
dily transfer them, bees and all, without any cutting, to 
another hive. I have experimented largely with hives of 
this construction, and find that they answer most admirably^ 
all the ends proposed in their invention. 

While experimenting in the city of Philadelphia, in the 
Summer of 1851, with some observing hives of a peculiar 
construction, I ascertained that bees could be made to work 
in glass hives^ exposed to ihe full light of day. A knowledge 



MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 17 

of this discovery, procured me the pleasure of an acquaint- 
ance with Rev. Dr. Berg, pastor of a Dutch Reformed 
church in that city. From him, I first learned that a 
Prussian clergyman, of the name of Dzierzon, (pronounc- 
ed Tseertsone,) had attracted the attention of crowned 
heads, by his important discoveries in the management 
of bees. Before he communicated to me the particulars 
of these discoveries, I explained to Dr. Berg my system 
of management, and showed him my hive. He expressed 
the greatest astonishment at the wonderful similarity in our 
methods of management, both of us having carried on our 
investigations without the slightest knowledge of each other's 
labors. Our hives, he found to differ in some very important 
respects. In the Dzierzon hive, the corpbs are not attached 
to movable frames, but to bars, so that they cannot, without 
cutting, be removed from the hive. In my hive, which is 
opened from the top, any comb may be taken out, without 
at all disturbing the others ; whereas, in the Dzierzon hive, 
which is opened from one of the ends, it is often necessary 
to cut and remove many combs, in order to get access to a 
particular one ; thus, if the tenth comb from the end is to be 
removed, nine combs must be first cut and taken out. All 
this consumes a large amount of lime. The German hive 
does not furnish the surplus honey in a form which would be 
found most salable in our markets, or which would admit of 
safe transportation in the comb. Notwithstanding these and 
other disadvantages, it has achieved a great triumph in 
Germany, and given a new impulse to the cultivation of bees. 
The following letter from Samuel Wagner, Esq., Cashier 
of the bank in York, Pennsylvania, will show the results 
which have been obtained in Germany, by the new system 
of management, and his estimate of the superior value of 
my hive to those in use there. 
2* 



18 MOVABLE COMB HITI!. 

York, Pa., Dec. 24, 1S6^. 

Dear Sir : — The Dzierzon theory and the system of bee-^ 
management based thereon, were originally promulgated, 
hypothetically, in the " Eichstadt Bienen-zeitung," or Bee-^ 
journal, in 1845, and at once arrested my attention. Subse- 
quently, when in 1848, at the instance of the Prussian 
government, the Rev. Mr. Dzierzon published his "Theory 
and Practice of Bee Culture," I imported a copy, which 
reached me in 1849, and which I translated prior to January 
1850. Before the translation was completed, I received a 
visit from my friend, the Eev. Dr. Berg, of Philadelphia, and 
in the course of conversation on bee-keeping, mentioned to 
him the Dzierzon theory and system, as one which I regarded 
as new and very suj^erior, though I had had no opportunity 
for testing it practically. In February following, when in 
Philadelphia, I left with him the translation in manuscript — ■ 
up to which period, I doubt whether any other person in this 
country had any knowledge of the Dzierzon theory ; except 
to Dr. Berg I had never mentioned it to any one, save in 
very general terms. 

In September, 1851, Dr. Berg again visited York, and 
stated to me your investigations, discoveries and inventions. 
From the account Dr. Berg gave me, I felt assured that you 
had devised substantially the same system as that so success- 
fully pursued by Mr. Dzierzon ; but how far your hive re- 
sembled his I was unable to judge from description alone. 
I inferred, however, several points of difference. The coin- 
cidence as to system, and the principles on which it was 
evidently founded, struck me as exceedingly singular and 
interesting, because I felt confident that you had no more 
knowledge of Mr. Dzierzon and his labors, before Dr. Berg 
mentioned him and his book to you, than Mr. Dzierzon had 
of you. These circumstances made me very anxious tO' 



MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 19 

examine your hives, and induced me to visit your Apiary in 
the village of West Philadelphia, last August. In the absence 
of the keeper, I took the liberty to explore the premises 
thoroughly, opening and inspecting a number of the hives, 
and noticing the internal arrangement of the parts. The 
result was, that I came away convinced that though your 
system was based on the same principles as Dzierzon's, yet 
that your hive was almost totally different from his, in con- 
struction and arrangement ; that while the same objects 
substantially are attained by each, your hive is more simple, 
more convenient, and much better adapted for general intro- 
duction and use, since the mode of using it can be more 
easily taught. Of its ultimate and triumphant success I have 
no doubt. I sincerely believe that when it comes under the 
notice of Mr. Dzierzon, he will himself prefer it to his own. 
It in fact combines all the good properties which a hive 
ought to possess, while it is free from the complication, clum- 
siness, vain ivhims, and decidedly objectionable features which 
characterize most of the inventions which profess to be at 
all superior to the simple box, or the common chamber hive. 

You may certainly claim equal credit with Dzierzon for 
originality in observation and discovery in the natural history 
of the honey bee, and for success in deducing principles 
and devising a most valuable system of management from 
observed facts. But in invention, as far as neatness, com» 
pactness, and adaptation of means to ends are concerned, 
the sturdy German must yield the palm to you. You will 
find a case of similar coincidence detailed in the Westmin- 
ster Review for October, 1852, page 267, et seq. 

I send you herewith some interesting statements respect- 
ing Dzierzon, and the estimate in which his system is held 
in Germany. Very truly yours, 

SAMUEL WAGNER, 

Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 



20 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 

The following are the statements to which Mr. Wagnef 
refers : 

" As the best test of the value of Mr. Dzierzon's system^ 
is the results which have been made to flow from it, a brief 
account of its rise and progress may be found interesting* 
In 1835 he commenced bee-keeping in the common way, 
with twelve colonies, and after various mishaps, which taught 
him the defects of the common hives and the old mode of 
management, his stock was so reduced that in 1838 he had 
virtually to begin anew. At this period he contrived his 
improved hive in its ruder form, which gave him the com- 
mand over ail the combs, and he began to experiment on 
the theory which observation and study had enabled him to 
devise. Thenceforward his progress was as rapid as his 
success was complete and triumphant. Though he met with 
frequent reverses, about seventy colonies having been stolen 
from him, sixty destroyed by fire, and twenty-four by a 
flood, yet in 1846 his stock had increased to three hundred 
and sixty colonies, and he realized from them that year six 
thousand pounds of honey, besides several hundred weight 
of wax. At the same time most of the cultivators in his 
vicinity who pursued ihe.common methods, had fewer hives 
than they had when he commenced. 

In the year 1848, a fatal pestilence, known by the name 
of " foul brood," prevailed among his bees, and destroyed 
nearly all his colonies before it could be subdued, only about 
ten having escaped the malady, which attacked alike the old 
stocks and his artificial swarms. He estimates his entire 
loss that year at over five hundred colonies. Nevertheless 
he succeeded so well in multiplying by artificial swarms, the 
few that remained healthy, that in the fall of 1851 his stock 
consisted of nearly four hundred colonies. He must, there- 
fore, have multiplied his stocks more than three-fold each 
year. 



MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 21 

The highly prosperous condition of his colonies is attested 
by the Report of the Secretary of the Annual Apiarian 
Convention, which met in his vicinity last Spring. This 
Convention, the fourth which has been held, consisted of 
one hundred and twelve experienced and enthusiastic bee- 
keepers from various districts of Germany and neighboring 
countries, and among them were some vi'ho, when they 
assembled, were strong opposers of his system. 

They visited and personally examined the Apiaries of Mr. 
Dzierzon. The report speaks in the very highest terms of 
his success, and of the manifest superiority of his system of 
management. He exhibited and satisfactorily explained to 
his visitors, his practice and principles ; and they remarked, 
with astonishment, the singular docility o{ his bees, and the 
thorough control to which they were subjected. After a full 
detail of the proceedings, the Secretary goes on to say : 

" Now that I have seen Dzierzon's method practically 
demonstrated, I must admit that it is attended with fewer 
difficulties than I had supposed. With his hive and system 
of management it would seem that bees become at once 
more docile than they are in other cases. I consider his 
system the simplest and best means of elevating bee-culture 
to a profitable pursuit, and of spreading it far and wide over the 
land ; especially as it is adapted to districts in which the bees 
do not readily and regularly swarm. His eminent success 
in re-establishing his stock, after suffering so heavily from 
the devastating pestilence, in short the recuperative power 
of the system demonstrates conclusively, that it furnishes the 
best, perhaps the only means of reinstating bee-culture to a 
profitable branch of rural economy. 

Dzierzon modestly disclaimed the idea of having attained 
perfection in his hive. He dwelt rather upon the truth and 
importance of his theory and system of management," 



22 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 

From the Leijnig Illustrated Almanac — Report on Agri- 
culture for 1846 : 

" Bee culture is no longer regarded as of any importance 
in rural economy." 

From the same for 1851, and 1853 : 

" Since Dzierzon's system has been made known, an 
entire revolution in bee culture has been produced. A new 
era has been created for it, and bee-keepers are turning their 
attention to it with renewed zeal. The merits of his discove- 
ries are appreciated by the government, and they recom- 
mend his system as worthy the attention of the teachers of 
common schools." 

Mr. Dzierzon resides in a poor, sandy district of Lower 
Silesia, which, according to the common notions of Apia- 
rians, is unfavorable to bee culture. Yet despite of this and 
of various other mishaps, he has succeeded in realizing nine 
hundred dollars as the product of his bees in one season ! 

By his mode of management, his bees yield, even in the 
poorest years, from 10 to 15 percent, on the capital invested, 
and where the colonies are produced by the Apiarian's own 
skill and labor, they cost him only about one-fourth the price 
at which they are usually valued. In ordinary seasons the 
profit amounts to from 30 to 50 per cent,, and in very favor- 
able seasons from 80 to 100 per cent." 

In communicating these facts to the public, I have several 
objects in view. I freely acknowledge that I take an honest 
pride in establishing my claims as an independent observer ; 
and as having matured by my own discoveries, the same 
system of bee-culture, as that which has excited so much 
interest in Germany ; I desire also to have the testimony of 
the translator of Dzierzon to the superior merits of my hive. 
Mr. Wagner is extensively known as an able German 
scholar. He has taken all the numbers of the Bee Journal, 



MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 23 

a monthly periodical which has been published for niore than 
fifteen years in Gernaany, and is undoubtedly nnore familiar 
with the state of Apiarian culture abroad, than any man in 
this country. 

I am anxious further to show that the great importance 
which I attach to my system of management, is amply justi- 
fied by the success of those who, while pursuing a similar 
one wiih inferior hives, have attained results, which to com- 
mon bee-keepers, seem almost incredible. Inventors are too 
prone to form exaggerated estimates of the value of their 
labors ; and the American public has been so often deluded 
with patent hives, devised by persons ignorant of the most 
important principles in the natural history of ihe bee, and 
which have utterly failed to answer their professed objects, 
that they are scarcely to be blamed for rejecting every new 
hive as unworthy of confidence. 

There is now a prospect that a Bee Journal will before 
long, be established in this country. Such a publication has 
long been needed. Properly conducted, it will have a most 
powerful influence in disseminating information, awakening 
enthusiasm, and guarding the public against the miserable 
impositions to which it has so long been subjected. 

Three such journals are now published monthly in Ger- 
many, one of which has been in existence for more than 
seventeen years ; and their wide circulation has made thou- 
sands well acquainted with those principles which must 
constitute the foundation of any enlightened and profitable 
system of culture. 

The truth is that while many of the principal facts in the 
physiology of the honey bee have long been familiar to 
scientific observers, it has unfortunately happened that some 
of the most important have been the most widely discredited. 
In themselves they are so wonderful, and to those who have 



-24 MOVABLE COMB HIVE. 

not witnessed them, often so incredible, that it is not at all 
strange that they have been rejected, either as fanciful con- 
ceits, or bare-faced inventions. 

Many persons have not the slightest idea that every thing 
may be seeji that takes place in a bee-hive. But for more 
than half a century hives have been in use, containing only 
one comb, enclosed on both sides, by glass. These hives are 
darkened by shutters, and when opened, the queen is ex- 
posed to observation, as well as all the other bees. Within 
the last four years, I have discovered that with proper pre- 
cautions, colonies can be made to work in observing hives, 
without shutters, and exposed continually to the full light of 
day ; so that observations may be made at all times, without 
in the least interrupting the ordinary operations of the bees. 
By the aid of such hives, many intelligent persons from 
various States in the Union, have seen in my Apiaries, the 
queen bee depositing her eggs in the cells, and constantly 
surrounded by an affectionate circle of her devoted children. 
They have also witnessed, with astonishment and delight, all 
the mysterious steps in the process of raising queens from 
eggs which, with the ordinary development, would have 
produced only the common bees. Ofien, for more than 
three months, there has not been a day in which some of my 
colonies were not engaged in making new queens to supply 
the place of those taken from them, and I have had the 
pleasure of exhibiting all the facts to bee-keepers who never 
before felt willing to credit them. As all my hives are so 
made that each comb can be taken out, and examined at 
pleasure, those who use them, can obtain from them all the 
information which they need, and are no longer forced to 
take anything upon trust. 

May I be permitted to express the hope that the time is 
now at hand, when the number of practical observers will 



THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 25 

be SO multiplied, and the true principles of bee-keeping so 
thoroughly understood, that ignorant and designing men will 
neither be able to impose their conceits and falsehoods upon 
the public, nor be sustained in their attempts to depreciate 
the valuable discoveries of those v^ho have devoted years of 
observation and experiment, to promote the advancement of 
Apiarian knowledge. 



CHAPTER II. 

The Honey Bee capable of being Tamed or Domesticated, to a most 
Surprising Degree. 

If the bee had not such a necessary and yet formidable 
weapon, both of offence and defence, multitudes might easily 
be induced to enter upon its cultivation, who are now afraid 
to have anything to do with it. As the new system of man- 
agement which 1 have devised, seems to add to this inherent 
difficulty, by taking the greatest possible liberties with so 
irascible an insect, I deem it important to shov/ clearly, in 
the very outset, how bees may be managed, so that all 
necessary operations may be performed in an Apiary, with- 
out incurring any serious risk of exciting their anger. 

Many persons have been unable to control their expres- 
sions of astonishment, as they have seen me open hive after 
hive, removing the combs covered with bees, and shaking 
them off in front of the hives, forming new swarms, exhibit- 
Ing the queen, transferring the bees with all their stores to 
another hive, and, in short, dealing with them as if they 
were as harmless as so many flies. I have sometimes been 
3 



26 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 

asked if my bees had not been subjected to a long course of 
instruction, to prepare them for public exhibition ; when the 
very hives which I was opening, contained swarms which 
had been brought only the day before to my Apiary. 

Before entering upon the natural history of the bee, I 
shall anticipate some principles in its management, in order 
to prepare my readers to receive the statements in my book, 
without those doubts which would otherwise be very natural, 
gfnd to convince them that almost any one favorably situated, 
may safely enjoy the pleasure and profit of a pursuit, which 
has been most appropriately styled " the poetry of rural 
economy ; " and that, without being made too familiar with 
a sharp little weapon, which can most speedily and effectu- 
ally convert all the poetry into very sorry prose. 

It must be manifest to every thinking mind, that the Crea- 
tor intended the bee, as truly as he did the horse or the cow, 
for the comfort of man. In the early ages of the world, and 
indeed until quite modern times, honey was almost the only 
natural sweet ; and the promise of " a land flowing with 
milk and honey," had then a significance, the full force of 
which it is difficult for us to realize. The honey bee, there- 
fore, was created not merely with the ability to store up its 
delicious nectar for its own use, but with certain properties 
which fitted it to be domesticated, and to labor for man, and 
without which he would no more have been able to subject 
it to his control, than to make a useful beast of burden of a 
lion or a tiger. 

One of the peculiarities which constitutes the very foun- 
dation, not merely of my system of management, but of the 
ability of man to domesticate at all so irascible an insect, 
has never, to my knowledge, been clearly stated by any 
other writer, as a great and controlling principle. It may 
be thus expressed : 



THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 27 

A HONEY BEE, WHEN IT IS GORGED OR FILLED WITH HONEY, 
NEVER VOLUNTEERS AN ATTACK, BUT ACTS SOLELY ON THE 
DEFENSIVE. 

This is a law of the honied tribe, as universal in its appli- 
cation as the law of gravity in physics ; and I should just as 
soon expect a stone to rise into the air without any propelling 
power, as a bee well filled with honey to offer to sting, 
unless crushed or injured by some direct assault. The man 
who first attempted to lodge a swarm of bees in an artificial 
hive, must have been most agreeably surprised at the ease 
with which he was able to accomplish the feat ; for bees 
when intending to swarm, usually fill their honey-bags to 
their utmost capacity. This is wisely ordered, that they 
may have materials for commencing operations immediately 
in their new habitation ; that they may not starve if several 
stormy days should follow their emigration ; and that when 
they leave their hives, they may be in a suitable condition to 
be secured by man. 

They issue from their hives in the most peaceable mood 
that can well be imagined ; and unless they are abused, allow 
themselves to be treated with great familiarity. The hiving 
of bees by those who understand their nature, could always 
be conducted without risk, if it were not the case that some 
improvident or unfortunate ones occasionally come forth 
without the soothing supply ; and not being stored with 
honey, are filled instead with the gall of the very bitterest 
hate against all mankind and animal kind in general, and 
any one who dares to meddle with them in particular. 
Such thriftless radicals are always to be dreaded, for they 
must vent their spleen on something, even though they 
perish in the attempt. 

Suppose a whole colony, on sallying forth, to possess such 
a ferocious spirit ; no one would ever dare hive them, unless 



28 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 

clad in a coat of mail, at least bee-proof, and not even then 
until all the windows of his house were closed, his domestic 
animals bestowed in some place of safety, and sentinels 
posted at suitable stations, to warn all comers to look out for 
something almost as much to be dreaded as a fiery loco- 
motive in full speed. In short, if the propensity to be ex- 
ceedingly good natured after a hearty meal, had not been 
given to the bee, it could never have been domesticated, and 
our honey would still be procured from the clefts of rocks, 
or the hollows of trees. 

A second peculiarity in the nature of the bee, and one of 
which I continually avail myself with the greatest success, 
may be thus stated : 

Bees cannot, under any circumstances, resist the 
temptation to fill themselves with liquid sweets. 

It would be quite as easy for an inveterate miser to look 
with indifference upon a golden shower of double eagles, 
falling at his feet and soliciting his appropriation. If then we 
can contrive a way to call their attention to a treat of running 
sweets, when we wish to perform any operation which might 
provoke them, we maybe sure they will accept it, and under 
its genial influence, so long as we do not hurt them, allow us 
without molestation, to do what we please. 

We must always be particularly careful not to handle 
them roughly, for they will never allow themselves to be 
pinched or hurt without thrusting out their sting to resent the 
indignity. I always keep a small watering-pot or sprinkler, 
in my Apiary, that when I wish to operate upon a hive, as 
soon as the cover is taken off, and the bees exposed, I may 
sprinkle them gently with water sweetened with sugar : 
they help themselves with the greatest eagerness, and in a 
few moments are in a perfectly manageable state. The 
truth is, that bees managed on this plan are always glad to 



THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 29 

see visitors, and you cannot look in upon them too often, for 
they expect at every call to receive a sugared treat by way 
of a peace-offering. The greatest objection to the use of 
sweetened water, is the eagerness of the bees from other 
hives, to regale themselves on its contents. When there is 
any scarcity of honey in the fields, they will often surround 
the Apiarian, as soon as he presents himself with his water- 
ing pot, ready to plunge into any hive which he may open, 
and steal if possible a portion of its treasures. 

A third peculiarity in the nature of the bee, and one which 
gives an almost unlimited power of control over them, may 
be expressed as follows : 

Bees, when they are frightened, immediately begin 
to fill themselves with honey from their combs. 

If the Apiarian can only succeed in frightening his little 
subjects, he will, in a few minutes, make them as peaceable 
as though they were incapable of stinging. By the use of a 
little smoke from decaying wood, or punk, as it is often 
called, the largest and most fiery colony may at once be 
brought into complete subjection. As soon as the smoke is 
blown among them, they retreat from before it, raising a sub- 
dued or terrified note, and at once, as though they imagined 
that their honey was to be taken from them, they cram their 
honey-bags to their utmost possible capacity. They act 
either as though they were aware that all they can lodge in 
this inside pocket is perfectly safe, or else as though expect- 
ing to be driven away from their stores, they were deter- 
mined, as in swarming, to start with a full supply of pro- 
visions for the way. The same result may be obtained by 
shutting them up in their hive and then drumming upon it for a 
short time. The various processes, however, for inducing bees 
to fill themselves with honey, will be more fully explained 
in the chapter that treats of the formation of Artificial Swarms. 
3* 



30 THE HONEY BEE CAPABLE OF BEING TAMED. 

By the use of sweetened water or smoke, or by drumming 
I can superintend a large number of hives, performing every 
operation that is necessary for pleasure or profit, and yet not 
run the risks of being stung, which must frequently be in- 
curred in attempting to manage, in the simplest way, the 
common hives. 

Let all your motions about your hives be gentle and slow. 
Accustom your bees to your presence ; never crush or injure 
them, or breathe upon them in any operation ; acquaint your- 
self fully with the principles of management detailed in this 
treatise, and you will find that you have but litde more rea- 
son to dread the sting of a bee, than the horns of your favor- 
ite cow, or the heels of your faithful horse. 

Armed with one of my bee-hats and a pair of india-rubber 
gloves, even the most timid, by availing themselves of these 
principles, may open my hives and deal with their bees, with 
a freedom utterly astonishing to the oldest cultivators of bees, 
on the common plan. In the management of the most 
extensive Apiary, no operation will ever be necessary^ which 
by exasperating a whole colony, impels them to assail, with 
almost irresistible fury, the person of the bee-keeper. 



CHAPTER TIL 

The Queen or Mother-Bee, the Drones, and the Workers ; with various 
Highly Important Facts in their Natural History. 

Honey Bees can flourish only when associated in large 
numbers, as a colony. In a solitary state, a single bee is 
almost as helpless as a new-born child, being unable to 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 31 

endure even the ordinary chill of a cool Summer night. 
If a strong colony is examined, a short time before it 
swarms, three different kinds of bees will be found in the 
hive. 

1st, A bee of peculiar shape, commonly called the Queen 
Bee. 

2d, Some hundreds, more or less, of large bees called 
Drones. 

3d, Many thousands of a smaller kind, called Workers 
or common bees, and similar to those which are seen on the 
blossoms. A large number of the cells will be found filled 
with honey and bee-bread ; while vast numbers contain eggs, 
and immature workers and drones. A few cells of unusual 
size, are devoted to the rearing of young queens, and are 
ordinarily to be found in a perfect condition, only in the 
swarming season. 

The Queen Bee is the only perfect female in the hive, and 
all the eggs are laid by her. The Drones are the males^ and 
the Workers dire females, whose ovaries or" egg-bags" are 
so imperfectly developed that they are incapable of breed- 
ing, and which retain the instinct of females, only so far as 
to give the most devoted attention to rearing the brood. 

These facts have all been repeatedly demonstrated, and 
are as well established as the most common facts in the 
breeding of our domestic animals. The knowledge of them 
in their most important bearings, is absolutely essential to all 
who expect to realize large profits from any improved method 
of rearing bees. Those who will not acquire the necessary 
information, if they keep bees at all, should manage them in 
the old-fashioned way, which requires the smallest amount of 
knowledge and skill. 

I am perfectly aware how difRcult it is to reason with a 
large class of bee-keepers, some of whom have been so 



32 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 

often imposed upon, that they have lost all faith in the truth 
of statements made by any one interested in a patent hive, 
while others stigmatize all knowledge which does not square 
with their own, as " book knowledge," entirely unworthy 
the attention of practical men. 

If any such read this book, let me remind them again, 
that all my assertions may be put to the test. So long as 
the interior of a hive, was to common observers, a profound 
mystery, ignorant and designing men might assert what 
they pleased, about what passed in its dark recesses ; but 
now, when all that takes place in it, can, in a few moments, 
be exposed to the full light of day, and every one who keeps 
bees, can see and examine for himself, the man who attempts 
to palm upon the community, his own conceits for facts, will 
speedily earn for himself, the character both of a fool and 
an impostor. 

The Queen Bee, or as she may more prop- 
erly be called the mother hee^ is the common 
mother of the whole colony. She reigns there- 
fore, most unquestionably, by a divine right, as 
every good mother is, or ought to be, a queen 
in her own family. Her shape is widely dif- 
ferent from that of the other bees. While she 
is not near so bulky as a drone, her body is longer, and of a 
more tapering, or sugar-loaf form than that of a worker, so 
that she has somewhat of a wasp-like appearance. Her 
wings are much shorter, in proportion, than those of the 
drone, or worker ; the under part of her body is of a golden 
color, and the upper part usually darker than that of the 
other bees. Her motions are generally slow and matronly, 
although she can, when she pleases, move with astonishing 
quickness. 

No colony can long exist without the presence of this all- 




NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 66 

important insect. She is just as necessary to its welfare, as 
the soul is to the body, for a colony without a queen must 
as certainly perish, as a body without the spirit hasten to 
inevitable decay. 

She is treated by the bees, as every mother ought to be 
by her children, with the greatest respect and affection. A 
circle of her loving offspring constantly surround her, testi- 
fying, in various ways, their dutiful regard ; gently touching 
or embracing her with their antennse, offering her honey, 
from time to time, and always, most politely backing out of 
her way, to give her a clear path when she wishes to move 
over the combs. If she is taken from them, as soon as they 
have ascertained their loss, the whole colony is thrown into 
a state of the most intense agitation ; all the labors of the 
hive are at once abandoned ; the bees run wildly over the 
combs, and frequently, rush forth from the hive, exhibiting 
all the appearance of anxious search for their beloved 
mother. Not being able to find her, they return to their 
desolate home, and by their mournful tones, reveal their deep 
sense of so deplorable a calamity. Their note, at such 
times, more especially when they first realize their loss, is of 
a peculiarly mournful character ; it sounds somewhat like a 
succession of wailings on the minor key, and can no more be 
mistaken by the experienced bee-keeper, for their ordinary, 
happy hum, than the piteous meanings of a sick child could 
be confounded by an anxious mother, with its joyous crowings 
when overflowing with health and happiness. 

I am well aware that all this will sound to many, much 
more like romance than sober reality ; but I have determined, 
in writing this book, to state facts, however wonderful, just 
as they are ; confident that in due time ihey will be univer- 
sally received, and hoping that the many wonders in the 
economy of the honey bee will not only excite a wider inte?- 



34 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 

est in its culture, but lead those who observe them, to adore 
the wisdom of Him who gave them such admirable instincts. 
The fertility of the queen bee has been entirely under- 
estimated by most writers. It is truly astonishing. During 
the height of the breeding season, she will often, under 
favorable circumstances, lay from two to three thousand eggs, 
a day ! In my observing hives, I have seen her lay at the 
rate of six eggs a minute. The fecundity of the female of 
the white ant, is, however, much greater than this, as she 
will lay as many as sixty eggs a minute ; but then her eggs 
are simply extruded from her body, and carried by the work- 
ers into suitable nurseries, while the queen bee herself de* 
posits her eggs in their appropriate cells. 

On the way in which the Eggs of the Queen Bee are 
Fecundated. 

I come now to a subject of great practical importance, 
which, until recently, has been attended with difficulties 
apparently insuperable. 

It has been noticed that the queen bee usually commences 
laying very early in the season, and always long before there 
are any males in the hive. (See remarks on Drones.) In 
what way, then, are her eggs impregnated ? Francis Huber 
of Geneva, by a long course of the most indefatigable obser- 
vations, threw much light upon this subject. Before stating 
his discoveries, I must pay my humble tribute of gratitude 
and admiration to this wonderful man. It is mortifying to 
every scientific naturalist, and I might add, to every honest 
man acquainted with the facts, to hear such an Apiarian as 
Huber, abused by the veriest quacks and imposters ; while 
others who are indebted to his labors for nearly all that is of 
any value in their works, 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 35 

" Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, 
And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer." 

Huber, in early manhood, lost the use of his eyes. His 
opponents imagine that in stating this fact, they have thrown 
merited discredit on all his observations. But to make their 
case still stronger, they delight to assert that his servant, 
Francis Burnens, by whose aid he conducted his experi- 
ments, was only an ignorant peasant. Now this, so-called, 
ignorant peasant, was a man of strong native intellect, pos- 
sessing the indefatigable energy and enthusiasm so indispen- 
sable to a good observer. He was a noble specimen of a 
self-made man, and afterwards rose to be the chief magistrate 
in the village where he resided. Huber has paid the most 
admirable tribute to his intelligence, fidelity and indomitable 
patience, energy and skill.* 

It would be difficult to find, in any language, a better 
specimen of the inductive system of reasoning, than Ruber's 
work upon bees, and it might be studied as a model of the 
only true way of investigating nature, so as to arrive at 
reliable results. 

Huber was assisted in his researches, not only by Burnens, 
but by his own wife, to whom he was engaged before the 
loss of his sight, and who nobly persisted in marrying him, 
notwithstanding his misfortune, and the strenuous dissua- 
sions of her friends. They lived for more than the ordinary 
term of human life, in the enjoyment of uninterrupted 
domestic happiness, and the amiable naturalist, in her assid- 
uous attentions, scarcely felt the loss of his sight. 

* A single fact will show the character of the man. It became 
necessary, in a certain experiment, to examine separately all the bees 
in two hives. '' Burnens spent eleven days in performing this work, 
and during the whole time he scarcely allowed himself any relaxationj 
but what the relief of his eyes required." 



36 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

Milton is believed by many, to have been a better poet, in 
consequence of his blindness ; and it is highly probable that 
Huber was a better Apiarian, from the same cause. His 
active and yet reflective mind demanded constant employ- 
ment ; and he found in the study of the habits of the honey 
bee, full scope for all his powers. All the facts observed, 
and experiments tried by his faithful assistants, were daily 
reported, and many inquiries were stated and suggestions 
made by him, which would probably have escaped his notice, 
if he had possessed the use of his eyes. 

Few, like him, have such a command of both time and 
money, as to be able to prosecute for a series of years, on a 
grand scale, the most costly experiments. Apiarians owe 
more to Huber than to any other person. Having repeatedly 
verified the most important of his observations, I take the 
greatest delight in acknowledging my obligations to him, 
and in holding him up to my countrymen, as the Prince of 
Apiarians. 

To return to his discoveries on the impregnation of the 
Queen Bee. By a long course of experiments, most care- 
fully conducted, he ascertained that like many other insects, 
she is fecundated in the open air, and on the wing, and fur- 
ther that the influence of this lasts for several years, and 
probably for life. He could form no satisfactory conjecture 
how the eggs which were not yet developed in her ovaries, 
could be fertilized. Years ago, the celebrated Dr. John 
Hunter, and others, supposed that there must be a perma- 
nent receptacle for the male sperm, opening into the oviduct. 
Dzierzon, who must be regarded as one of the ablest con- 
tributors of modern times, to Apiarian science, maintains 
this opinion, and states that he has found such a receptacle 
filled with a fluid resembling the semen of the drones. 
He nowhere, to my knowledge, states that he ever made 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 6( 

any microscopic examinations, so as to put the matter on the 
footing of demonstration. 

In January and February of 1852, I submitted several 
Queen Bees to Dr. Joseph Leidy of Philadelphia, for a 
scientific examination. I need hardly say to any Naturalist 
in this country, that Dr. Leidy has obtained the very highest 
reputation, both at home and abroad, as a skillful naturalist 
and microscopic anatomist. No man in this country or 
Europe, was more competent to make the investigations 
that I desired. He found, in making his dissections, a small 
globular sac, not larger than a grain of mustard seed, (about 
■3'^ of an inch in diameter,) communicating with the oviduct, 
and filled with a v^hitish fluid, which when examined under 
the microscope, was found to abound in spermatozoa, the 
animalculge which are the unmistakable characteristics of 
the seminal fluid. ' Later in the season, the same substance 
was compared with some taken from the drones, and found 
to be exactly similar to it. 

These examinations have settled, on the impregnable basis 
of demonstration, the-mode in which the eggs of the Queen 
are vivified. In descending the oviduct to be deposited in 
the cells, they pass by the mouth of this seminal sac or 
spermatheca, and receive a portion of its fertilizing contents. 
Small as it is, its contents are sufficient to impregnate hun- 
dreds of thousands of eggs. In precisely the same way, 
the mother wasps and hornets are fecundated. The females 
alone of these insects survive the Winter, and they often 
begin single handed, the construction of a nest, in which, at 
first, only a few eggs are deposited. How could these eggs 
hatch, if the females which laid them, had not been impreg- 
nated, the previous season ? Dissection proves them to have 
a spermatheca, similar to that of the Queen Bee. It never 
seems to have occurred to the opponents of Huber, that the 
4 



38 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

existence of a permanently impregnated mother wasp, is 
just as difficult to be accounted for, as the existence of a 
similarly impregnated Queen Bee. 

The celebrated Swam- 
merdam, in his observa- 
tions upon insects, made 
in the latter part of the 
sixteenth century, and 
published after his death, 
in 1737, has given a highly 
magnified and exceedingly 
accurate drawing of the 
Ovaries of the Queen Bee, 
a reduced copy of v^^hich 
I here present to my read- 
ers. The small globular 
sac, communicating with 
the oviduct, which he 
thought secreted a fluid 
for sticking the eggs to the base of the cells, is the seminal 
reservoir or spermatheca. Any one who will carefully dis- 
sect a Queen Bee, may see this sac, even with the naked eye. 
It will be seen that the ovaries are double, each one con- 
sisting of an amazing number of ducts filled with eggs, and 
that the eggs gradually increase in size as they approach the 
oviduct.* 

* Since the first edition of this work was issued, I have ascertained 
that Posel, (page 54,) describes the oviduct of the Queen, the sperma- 
theca and its contents, and the use of the latter in impregnating the 
passing egg. His work was published at Munich, in 1784. It seems 
also from his work, (page 36,) that before the investigations of Huber, 
Jansha, the bee-keeper royal of Maria Theresa, had discovered the fact 
that the young queens leave their hive in search of the drones. 




NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 89 

Effect of Retarded Impregnation on the Queen Bee. 

Huber, while experimenting to ascertain how the Queen 
was fecundated, confined some of his young Queens to their 
hives, by contracting the entrances, so that they were not 
able to go in search of the drones, until three weeks after 
their birth. To his amazement, these Queens whose im- 
pregnation was thus unnaturally retarded, never laid any 
eggs but such as produced drones ! 

He tried this experiment repeatedly, but always with the 
same result. Some Bee-Keepers, long before his time, had 
observed that all the brood in a hive were occasionally 
drones, and of course, that such colonies went rapidly to 
ruin. Before attempting any explanation of this astonishing 
fact, I must call the attention of the reader to another of the 
mysteries of the Bee-Hive. 

Fertile Workers. 

It has already been remarked, that the workers are proved 
by dissection to be females, all of which, under ordinary 
circumstances, are barren. Occasionally, some of them 
appear to be more fully developed, so as to be capable of 
laying eggs : these eggs, like those of Queens whose im- 
pregnation has been retarded, always produce drones ! 
Sometimes, when a colony has lost its Queen, and has 
thoroughly despaired of obtaining another, these drone- 
laying workers are exalted to her place, and treated with 
equal respect and affection, by the bees. Huber ascertained 
that these fertile workers were generally reared in the 
neighborhood of the young Queens, and he thought that 
they received some particles of the peculiar food or jelly 
on which the Queens are reared. He did not pretend to 



40 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

account for the effect of retarded impregnation ; and made 
no experiments to determine the facts, as to the fecundation 
of these fertile workers. 

Since the publication of Huberts work, more than sixty 
years ago, no light has been shed upon the mysteries of 
drone-laying Queens and workers, until quite recently. 
Dzierzon appears to have been the first to ascertain the truth 
on this subject ; and his discovery must certainly be ranked 
as unfolding one of the most astonishing facts in all the range 
of animated nature. This fact seems, at first view, so 
absolutely incredible, that I should not dare mention it, if it 
were not supported by the most indubitable evidence, and if I 
had not determined to state all important and well ascer- 
tained facts, without seeking, by any concealments, to pan- 
sier to the prejudices of the ignorant and conceited. 

Dzierzon advances the opinion that impregnation is not 
needed in order that the eggs of the Queen may produce 
drones ; but, that all impregnated eggs produce females, 
either workers or Queens ; and all unimpregnated ones> 
males or drones. He states that he found drone-laying 
Queens in several of his hives, whose wings were so im- 
perfect that they could not fly, and that on examination, they 
proved to be unfecundated. Hence he concluded that the 
eggs laid by the Queen Bee and fertile worker, had from 
the previous impregnation of the egg from which they 
sprung, sufficient vitality to produce the drone, which is a 
less highly organized insect than the Queen or worker. It 
had long been known, that the Queen deposits drone eggs 
in the large or drone cells, and worker eggs in the small or 
worker cells, and that she makes no mistakes. Dzierzon 
inferred, therefore, that there was some way in which she 
was able to decide as to the sex of the egg before it was 
laid, and that she must have a, control oyer th^ mouth of the 



NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 41 

seminal sac, so as to be able to extrude her eggs, allowing 
them to receive or not, just as she pleased, a portion of its 
fertilizing contents. In this way he thought she determined 
their sex, according to the size of the cells in which she laid 
them. Mr. Samuel Wagner of York, Pa., has recently 
communicated to me a very original and exceedingly in- 
genious theory of his own, which he thinks will account for 
all the facts, without admitting that the Queen Bee has any 
special knowledge or will on the subject. He supposes that 
when she deposits her eggs in the worker cells, her body is 
slightly compressed by the size of the cells, and that the 
eggs, as they pass the spermatheca, receive in this manner, 
its vivifying influence. On the contrary, when she is laying 
in drone cells, this compression cannot take place, the mouth 
of the spermatheca is kept closed, and the eggs are, neces- 
sarily, unfecundated. This theory may prove to be true, 
but at present, it is encumbered with some difficulties, and 
requires further investigations, before it can be considered as 
fully established. 

Leaving then, for the present undecided, the question 
whether the Queen exercises any volition in this matter, I 
shall, by stating some facts which have occurred in my own 
Apiary, endeavor to relieve, as far as possible, this intricate 
subject from some of the difficulties which embarrass it. 

In the Autumn of 1852, my assistant found in one of my 
hives a young Queen, whose progeny consisted entirely of 
drones. The colony had been formed by removing part of 
the combs containing bees, brood and eggs, from another 
hive ; and had only a few combs, and but a small number of 
bees, which raised a new Queen in the manner to be here- 
after particularly described. This Queen had laid a number 
of eggs in one of the combs, and the young were already 
emerging from the cells. I perceived, at the first glance, 
4* 



42 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEf BEg* 

that they were drones. As there were none but worl^ef 
cells in the hive, they were reared in them, and not having 
space for full development, they were dwarfed in size, al- 
though the bees, in order to give them more room, had 
pieced out the cells so as to make them larger than usual. 
Size excepted, they appeared as perfect as any other drones. 

I was not only struck with the singularity of finding 
drones reared in worker cells, but with the equally singular 
fact that a young Queen, who at first lays only the eggs of 
workers, should be laying drone eggs at all ; and at once 
conjectured that this was a case of a drone-laying unimpreg- 
nated Queen, as sufficient time had not elapsed for her im- 
pregnation to be unnaturally retarded. I saw the great im- 
portance of taking all necessary precautions to determine 
this point. The Queen was removed from the hive, and 
carefully examined. Her wings, although they appeared to 
be perfect, were so paralized that she could not fly. It 
seemed probable, therefore, that she had never been able to 
leave the hive for impregnation. 

To settle the question beyond the possibility of doubt, I 
submitted this Queen to Prof Leidy for microscopic exami- 
nation. The following is an extract from his report : " The 
ovaries were filled with eggs ; the poison sac was full of 
fluid, and I took the whole of it into my mouth ; the poison 
produced a strong metallic taste, lasting for a considerable 
time, and at first, it was pungent to the tip of the tongue. 
The spermatheca was distended with a perfectly colorless, 
transparent, viscid liquid, vjithout a trace of spermatozoa.'^'' 

This examination seems perfectly to sustain the theory of 
Dzierzon, and to demonstrate that Queens do not need to be 
impregnated, in order to lay the eggs of males. 

I must confess that considerable doubt seemed to rest on 
the accuracy of Dzierzon's statements on this subject, and 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 43 

chiefly because of his having hazarded the unfortunate con- 
jecture that the place of the poison bag in the worker, is 
occupied in the Queen, by the spermatheca. Now this is 
so connpletely contrary to fact, that it was a very natural 
inference, that this acute and thoroughly honest observer, 
made no microscopic dissections of the insects which he 
examined. I consider myself peculiarly fortunate in having 
obtained the aid of a Naturalist, so celebrated as Dr. Leidy, 
for microscopic dissections. The exceeding minuteness of 
some of the insects which he has completely figured and 
described, almost passes belief. 

On examining this same colony a few days later, I found 
the most satisfactory evidence that these drone eggs were 
laid by the Queen which I had removed. No fresh eggs 
had been deposited in the cells, and the bees, on missing 
her, had commenced the construction of royal cells, to rear 
if possible, another Queen, which they would not have done, 
if a fertile worker had been present, by which the drone 
eggs had been laid. 

Another very interesting fact proves that all the eggs laid 
by this Queen, were drone eggs. Two of the royal cells 
were, in a short time, discontinued, and were found to be 
empty, while a third contained a worm, which was sealed 
over the usual way, to undergo its changes to a perfect 
Queen. 

I was completely at a loss to account for this, as the bees 
having an unimpregnated drone-laying Queen, ought not to 
have had a single female egg from which they could rear a 
Queen. 

At first I imagined that they might have stolen it from 
another hive, but when I opened this cell, it contained, 
instead of a Queen, a dead drone ! 

I then remembered that Huber has described the same 



44 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

mistake on the part of some of his bees. At the base of 
this cell, was an unusual quantity of the peculiar jelly or 
paste, which is fed to the young that are to be developed as 
Queens. One might almost imagine that the poor bees in 
their desperation, had dosed the unfortunate drone to death ; 
as though they expected by such liberal feeding, to produce 
some hopeful change in his sexual organization. 

In the Summer of 1854, I found another drone laying 
Queen, in my Apiary ; her wings were shrivelled^ so that 
she could not fly. I gave her successively to several 
queenless colonies, in all of which she continued to deposit 
nothing but drone eggs. 

On the 14th of July, 1855, a Queen which hatched in one 
of my observing hives, after remaining in the hive for nine 
days without exhibiting any external appearance of impreg- 
nation, began to lay a few eggs on the edges of the combs 
instead of in the cells. She persisted in this for some days, 
until I transferred her to a colony which had been queen- 
less for some weeks, hoping that she might make an excur- 
sion from their hive to meet the drones. The observing hive 
in which she was born was exposed to the full light of day : 
the entrance was small and not very easy to find, and I had 
noticed on several occasions that in the afternoon, when the 
drones usually leave the hive in greatest numbers, the Queen 
seemed unable to get out. She manifested unusual excite- 
ment, and the whole colony were almost as much agitated 
as though they were swarming. After she had been in the 
second hive a short time, I examined it carefully, and found 
that she had laid a considerable number of drone eggs. 
They were deposited near the bottom and edge of the comb ; 
not in drone cells, but yet in cells a little larger than the 
worker size, and which the bees had begun to lengthen, 
the better to adapt them to the growth of their occupants. 



NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 45 

I could find no other brood in the hive. In making another 
examination (August 9th) in order to remove this Queen and 
give the colony another, I found the combs nearly filled with 
worker brood, in a state considerably less advanced than the 
drones ! Is there any reason to doubt that these drone eggs 
were laid by the Queen v\,'hile yet unfecundated, and that 
the worker brood was deposited by her after impregnation ? 

In Italy a variety of the honey bee described by Virgil is 
still found, differing considerably in size and color from the 
common kind. If an unimpregnated Queen of this variety 
is crossed with the common drones, her drone progeny will 
all be Italian drones^ while her worker brood will be a cross 
between the two kinds ! thus showing that the kind of drones 
which she will produce has no dependence upon the male 
by which she is fertilized. 

These facts appear to constitute all the links in a perfect 
chain, and to demonstrate, beyond the possibility of doubt, 
that unfecundated Queens are not only capable of laying 
eggs, (a thing no more remarkable than the same occurrence 
in a hen,) but that these eggs are possessed of sufficient 
vitality to produce drones. Aristotle, who flourished before 
the Christian era, had noticed that there was no difference 
in appearance, between the eggs producing drones and those 
producing workers ; and he states that drones only are pro- 
duced in hives which have no Queen ; of course the eggs 
producing them, were laid by fertile workers. Having now 
the aid of powerful microscopes, we are still unable to detect 
the slightest difference in size or appearance in the eggs, 
and this is precisely what we should expect if the same egg 
will produce either a worker or a drone, according as it is 
or is not impregnated. The theory which I propose, seems 
perfectly to harmonize, with all the observed facts on this 
subject. 



46 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. ' 

I believe that after fecundation has been delayed for about 
three weeks, the organs of the Queen bee are jn such a state 
that impregnation can no longer be effected ; just as the parts 
of a flower, after a certain time, wither and shut up, and the 
plant becomes incapable of fructification. The fertile drone- 
laying workers, are always in my opinion, physically inca- 
pable of being impregnated. 

There is something analagous to these wonders, in the 
aphides or green lice which infest our rose bushes and other 
plants. We have the most undoubted evidence that a fecun- 
dated female gives birth to other females, and they in turn 
to others, all of which, without impregnation, are able to 
bring forth young, until at length, after a number of genera- 
tions, perfect males and females are produced, and the series 
starts anew ! 

However strange it may appear, or even improbable, that 
an unimpregnated egg can give birth to a living being, or 
that the sex can be dependent on impregnation, we are not 
at liberty to reject facts, because we cannot comprehend the 
reasons of them. He who allows himself to be guilty of 
such folly, if he seeks to maintain his consistency, will be 
plunged, sooner or later, into the dreary gulf of atheism. 
Common sense, philosophy and religion alike teach us to 
receive all undoubted facts, both in the natural and spiritual 
world, with becoming reverence ; assured that however 
mysterious they may appear to us, they are all most beauti- 
fully harmonious and consistent in the sight of Him whose 
" understanding is infinite." 

The unequaled facilities for easy and accurate observation, 
furnished by the Movable Comb Hive, have seemed to ren- 
der it peculiarly incumbent on me, to do all in my power to 
clear up the difficulties in this intricate and yet highly impor- 
tant branch of Apiarian knowledge. All the leading facts 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 47 

in the breeding of bees ought to be as well known to the 
bee keeper, as the same class of facts in the rearing of his 
domestic animals. A few crude and hasty notions, but half 
understood and half digested, will answer only for the old 
fashioned bee keeper, who deals in the brimstone matches. 
He who expects to conduct bee keeping on a safe and profit- 
able system, must learn that on this, as on all other subjects, 
" knowledge is power." * 

The extraordinary fertility of the Queen bee has already 
been noticed. The process of laying has been well describ- 
ed by the Rev. W. Dunbar, a Scotch Apiarian, 

" When the Queen is about to lay, she puts her head into 
a cell, and remains in that position for a second or two, to 
ascertain its fitness for the deposit which she is about to 
make. She then withdraws her head, and curving her body 
downwards,! inserts the lower part of it into the cell : in a 
few seconds she turns half round upon herself and with- 
draws, leaving an egg behind her. When she lays a con- 
siderable number, she does it equally on each side of the 
comb, those on the one side being as exactly opposite to 
those on the other as the relative position of the cells will 
admit. The effect of this is to produce the utmost possible 
concentration and economy of heat for developing the various 
changes of the brood !" 

Here as at every step in the economy of the bee, our 
minds are filled with admiration as we witness the perfect 

* "If it were possible," said an able German Apiarian, in 1846, 
" to ascertain the reproductive process of bees with as much certainty 
as that of our domestic animals, bee culture might unquestionably be 
pursued with positive assurance of profit j and it would then assume 
a high rank among the various branches of rural economy." 

t In this way she is sure to deposit the egg in the cell she has 
selected. 



48 NATUKAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

adaptation of means to ends. Who can blame the warmest 
enthusiasm of the Apiarian in view of a sagacity which 
seems scarcely inferior to that of man ? 

" The eggs of bees," I quote from the admirable treatise 
of Bevan, " are of a lengthened oval shape, with a slight 
curvature, and of a bluish white color : being besmeared at 
the time of laying, with a glutinous substance, they adhere 
to the bases of the cells, and remain unchanged in figure or 
situation for three or four days ; they are then hatched, the 
bottom of each cell presenting to view a small white worm. 
On its growing so as to touch the opposite angle of the cell, 
it coils itself up, to use the language of Swammerdam, like 
a dog when going to sleep ; and floats in a "whitish trans- 
parent fluid, which is deposited in the cells by the nursing- 
bees, and by which it is probably nourished ; it becomes 
gradually enlarged in its dimensions, till the two extremities 
touch one another and form a ring. In this state it is called 
a larva or worm. So nicely do the bees calculate the quan- 
tity of food which will be required, that none remains in the 
cell when it is transformed to a nymph. It is the opinion 
of many eminent naturalists that farina does not constitute 
the sole food of the larva, but that it consists of a mixture 
of farina, honey and water, partly digested in the stomachs 
of the nursing-bees." 

" The larva having derived its support, in the manner 
above described, for four, five or six days, according to the 
season," (the development being retarded in cool weather, 
and badly protected hives,) " continues to increase during 
that period, till it occupies the whole breadth and nearly the 
length of the cell. The nursing bees now seal over the cell, 
with a light brown cover, externally more or less convex, 
(the cap of a drone cell is more convex than that of a 
worker,) and thus differing from that of a honey cell which 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE* 40 

which is paler and somewhat concave." The cap of the 
brood cell appears to be made of a mixture of bee-bread 
and wax ; it is not air tight as it would be if made of wax 
alone ; but appears, under the microscope, to be full of fine 
holes through which the inclosed insect can have air for all 
necessary purposes. From its texture and shape it is easily 
thrust off by the bee when mature, whereas, if it consisted 
wholly of wax, the insect would either perish for lack of air, 
or be unable to force its way into the world. Both the ma- 
terial and shape of the lids which seal up the honey cells 
are different, because an entirely different object was aimed 
at ; they are of pure wax to make them air tight, and thus 
prevent the honey from souring or candying in the cells ; 
and are slightly concave or hollowed inwards, to give them 
greater strength to resist the pressure of their contents. 

To return to Bevan. " The larva is no sooner perfectly 
inclosed than it begins to line the cell by spinning round 
itself, after the manner of the silk worm, a whitish silky 
film or cocoon, by which it is encased, as it were, in a pod. 
When it has undergone this change, it has usually borne the 
name of nymph or pupa. It has now attained its full growth, 
and the large amount of nutriment which it has taken serves 
as a store for developing the perfect insect." 

" The working tee nymph spins its cocoon in thirty-six 
hours. After passing about three days in this state of pre- 
paration for a new existence, it gradually undergoes so great 
a change as not to wear a vestige of its previous form." 

" When it has reached the twenty-first day of its exist- 
ence, counting from the time the egg is laid, it comes forth 
a perfect winged insect. The cocoon is left behind, and 
forms a closely attached and exact lining to the cell in which 
it was spun ; by this means the breeding cells become 
smaller and their partitions stronger, the oftener they change 
5 



50 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

their tenants ; and may become so much diminished in size 
as not to admit of the perfect development of full sized 
bees." 

'* Such are the respective stages of the working bee : 
those of the royal bee are as follows : she passes three 
days in the egg and is five a worm ; the workers then close 
her cell, and she immediately begins spinning her cocoon, 
which occupies her twenty-four hours. On the tenth and 
eleventh days and a part of the twelfth, as if exhausted by 
her labor, she remains in complete repose. Then she passes 
four days and a part of the fifth as a nymph. It is on the 
sixteenth day therefore that the perfect state of Queen is 
attained." 

" The drone passes three days in the egg, six and a half 
as a worm, and changes into a perfect insect on the twenty- 
fourth or twenty-fifth day after the egg is laid." 

"The developement of each species likewise proceeds 
more slowly when the colonies are weak or the air cool. 
Dr. Hunter has observed thanihe eggs, worms and nymphs 
all require a heat above 70° of Fahrenheit for their evolution." 
The bee keeper, therefore, in all his operations, should re- 
member that brood comb must never be exposed to so low a 
temperature as to become chilled : the effect is as disas- 
trous as when the eggs of a setting hen are left, for too long 
a time, by the careless mother. The brood combs are never 
safe when taken for any considerable time from the bees, 
unless the temperature is fully up to summer heat. 

" Both drones and workers on emerging from the cell are, 
at first gray, soft and comparatively helpless, so that some 
time elapses before they take wing." 

" The workers and drones spin complete cocoons^ or inclose 
themselves on every side, while the royal larvse construct 
only imperfect cocoons^ open behind, and enveloping only 



NATURAL HISTORY 'OF THE HONEY BEE. 51 

the head, thorax, and first ring of the abdonnen ; and Huber 
concludes, without any hesitation, that the final cause of this 
is, that they may be exposed to the mortal sting of the first 
hatched Queen, whose instinct leads her instantly to seek the 
destruction of those who would soon become her rivals." 

" If the royal larvae spun complete cocoons, the stings of 
the Queens seeking to destroy their rivals might be so en- 
tangled in their meshes that they could not be disengaged. 
' Such,' says Huber, ' is the instinctive enmity of young 
Queens to each other, that I have seen one of them, imme- 
diately on its emergence from the cell, rush to those of its 
sisters, and tear to pieces even the imperfect larvse. Hith- 
erto philosophers have claimed our admiration of nature for 
her care in preserving and multiplying the species. But 
from these facts we must now admire her precautions in 
exposing certain individuals to a mortal hazard.' " 

The cocoon of the royal larvas is very much stronger and 
coarser than that spun by the drone or worker, its texture 
considerably resembling that of the silk worm's. The young 
Queen does not ordinarily come forth from her cell until she 
is quite mature ; and as its great size gives her abundant 
room to exercise her wings, she is usually capable of flying 
as soon as she quits it. While still in her cell she makes the 
fluttering and piping noises with which every observant bee 
keeper is so well acquainted. 

When the eggs of the Queen are fully developed, like 
those of the domestic hen, they must be extruded ; but some 
Apiarians have supposed that she can regulate their develop- 
ment so that few or many are produced, according to the 
necessities of the colony. That this, to a certain extent, is 
true, seems highly probable ; for if a Queen is taken from a 
feeble colony, her abdomen seldom appears greatly distend- 
ed ; and yet, if put in a strong one, she speedily becomes very 



52 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE^ 

prolific Mr. Wagner says, " I conceive that she has tho 
power of regulating or repressing the development of her 
eggs, so that gradually she can diminish the number matur- 
ing, and finally cease laying and remain inactive, as long as 
circumstances require. The old Queen appears to qualify 
herself for accompanying a first swarm,* by repressing the 
development of eggs, and as this is done at the most genia! 
season of the year, it does not seem to be the result of at- 
mospheric influence. "^ 

It is certain that when the weather is unfavorable, or the 
colony 100 feeble to maintain sufficient heat, a smaller num- 
ber of eggs are matured, just as unfavorable circumstances 
diminish the number of eggs laid by the hen ; and when the 
weather is very cold, laying usually ceases altogether in weak 
colonies. In the latitude of Philadelphia,. I opened a strong 
stock, on the 5th day of February, and found an abundance of 
eggs and brood, although the Winter had been very severe, 
and the temperature of the preceding month quite low. 
The Fall of 1852 was warm, and eggs and brood were found 
in a hive examined on the 21st of October. Strong stocks 
in well protected hives, even in cold climates, usually con- 
tain some brood, every month in the year. 

It is highly interesting to see how the supernumerary eggs 
of the Queen are disposed of. When the number of workers 
is too small to take charge of all her eggs, or when there is 
a deficiency of bee bread to nourish the young, or when, for 
any reason, she does not judge best to deposit them in the 
cells, she stands upon a comb, and simply extrudes them 
from her oviduct, and the workers devour them as fast as 
they are laid ! This I have repeatedly witnessed in my 
observing hives, and admired the sagacity of the Queen m 

* Huber had noticed the reduced size of the Queen before swarming^ 
but attributed it evidently to a wrong cause. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 53 

economizing her necessary work after this fashion, instead 
of laboriously depositing the eggs in cells where they are 
not wanted. What a difference between her wise manage- 
ment, and the stupidity of a hen obstinately persisting to set 
upon addled eggs or pieces of chalk, and often upon nothing 
at all. 

The workers eat up also the eggs which are dropped, or 
deposited out of place by the Queen ; in this way, nothing 
goes to waste, even a tiny egg being turned to some account. 

It is difficult for one who has carefully watched the habits 
of bees, to speak of his little favorites otherwise than as pos- 
sessing an intelligence almost, if not quite, akin to reason; 
and I have sometime queried, whether the workers who are 
so fond of a tit-bit in the shape of a new laid egg, ever ex- 
perience a struggle between their appetite and the claims of 
duty, and if it does not cost them some self denial to refrain 
from making a breakfast on a fresh laid egg. 

It is well known to every breeder of poultry, that the fer- 
tility of a hen decreases wath age, until at length, she be- 
comes entirely barren ; it is equally certain that the fertility 
of the Queen bee ordinarily diminishes after she has entered 
upon her third year. She sometimes ceases to lay worker 
eggs, a considerable time before she dies of old age ; the 
contents of her spermatheca becoming exhausted, the eggs 
can no longer be impregnated, and must therefore produce 
drones. 

The Queen bee usually dies of old age, some time in her 
fourth year, although some have been known to live much 
longer. It is highly important to the bee keeper who would 
receive the largest returns from his bees, to be able, as in 
my hives, easily to remove her, when she has passed the 
period of her greatest fertility. 

Before proceeding farther in the natural history of the 
5* 




54 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

Queen bee, I shall describe more particularly, the other in- 
mates of the hive. 



The Drones or Male Bees. 

The drones are, unquestionably, the 
male bees; dissection proving that they 
have the appropriate organs of generation. 
They are much larger and stouter than 
either the Queen or vsrorkers ; although 
their bodies are not quite so long as that 
of fhe Queen. They have no sting vi^ith which to defend 
themselves ; no proboscis suitable for gathering honey from 
the flowers, no baskets on their thighs for holding bee-bread, 
and no pouches on their abdomens for secreting wax. They 
are therefore, physically disqualified for work, even if they 
were ever so well disposed to it. Their proper office is to 
impregnate the young Queens, and they are usually de- 
stroyed by the bees, soon after this is completed. 

Dr. Evans, the author of a beautiful poem on bees, thus 
appropriately describes them : — 

" Their short proboscis sips 
No luscious nectar from the wild thyme's lips, 
From the lime's leaf no amber drops they steal, 
Nor bear their grooveless thighs the foodful meal : 
On other's toils in pamper'd leisure thrive 
The lazy fathers of the industrious hive." 

The drones begin to make their appearance in April or 
May; earlier or later, according to climate and the forward- 
ness of the season, and strength of the stock. In colonies 
which are too weak to swarm, none, as a general rule, are 
reared, for in such hives, as no young Queens are raised, 
they would be only useless consumers. 

The number of drones in a hive is often very great, 
amounting, not merely to hundreds, but sometimes to thou- 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 55 

sands. It seems, at first, very difficult to understand why- 
there should be so many, especially since it has been ascer- 
tained, that a single one will impregnate a Queen for life. 
But as intercourse always takes place high in the air, the 
young Queens are obliged to leave the hive for this purpose ; 
and it is exceedingly important to their safety, that they 
should be sure of finding one, without being compelled to 
make frequent excursions. Being larger than a worker, and 
less active on the wing, they are more exposed to be caught by 
birds, or blown down and destroyed by sudden gusts of, wind. 

In a large Apiary, a few drones in each hive, or the num- 
ber usually found in one, might be amply sufficient. But it 
must be borne in mind, that under these circumstances, bees 
are not in a state of nature, when a colony living in a forest, 
often had no neighbors, for miles. A good stock, even in 
our climate, sometimes sends out three or more swarms, and 
in the tropical climates, of which the bee is probably a native, 
they increase with astonishing rapidity.* All the new 
swarms, except the first, are led off by a young Queen, and 
as she is never impregnated, until after she has been estab- 
lished as the head of a separate family, it is important that 
they should all be accompanied by a goodly number of 
drones ; and this renders it necessary that a large number 
should be produced in the parent hive. 

As this necessity no longer exists wh^n the bee is domes- 
ticated, the production of so many drones should be dis- 
couraged. Traps have been invented to destroy them, but 
it is much better to save the bees the labor and expense of 
rearing such a host of useless consumers.' This can readily 
be done, when we have the control of the combs. The 
drone comb may be taken out, to have its place supplied 

* At Sydney, in Australia, a single colony is stated to have multi^ 
plied to 300 in. three years.. 



56 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

with worker cells, and thus the over production of drones 
may easily be prevented. 

Some bee keepers will object to this mode of management 
as interfering with nature ; but they should remember that 
the bee is not in a state of nature, and that the same objec^ 
tion might, with equal force, be urged against killing off the- 
supernumerary males of our domestic animals. 

If at the time a new swarm is building their combs, the 
honey harvest is very abundant, the bees will frequently con- 
struct an unusual amount of drone combs, in which they then 
store honey alone. In a state of nature, where the bees, in the 
hollow of a tree or cleft of a rock, have an abundance of 
room, this excess of drone comb will, another season, be 
used for the same purpose, and new worker comb made to 
meet the enlarged wants of the colony : but in hives of a 
limited capacity, this cannot be done, and in precisely this 
way, many stocks are so crowded with drones, as to be of 
little value to their owner. 

In July or August, or soon after the swarming season is 
over, the bees usually expel the drones from the hive. 
They sometimes sting them, or gnaw the roots of their wings, 
so that when driven from the hive, they cannot return. If 
not treated in either of these summary ways, they are so 
persecuted and starved, that they soon perish. At such 
times they often retreat from the comb, keeping by themselves 
in large numbers upon the sides or bottom-board of the hive. 
The hatred of the bees extends even to the young which are 
still unhatched, which are mercilessly pulled from the cells, 
and destroyed with the rest. How wonderful that instinct 
which teaches the bees that there is no longer any occasion 
for the services of the drones, and which impels them to 
destroy those members of the colony, which, a short time 
before, they reared with such devoted attention I 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 57 

THE PRODUCTION OF SO MANY" DRONES NECESSARY, IN A 

STATE OF NATURE, TO PREVENT DEGENERACY FROM 

" IN AND IN BREEDING." 

I have never been able, by the reasons previously assigned, 
fully to account for the necessity of such a large number of 
drones. I have repeatedly queried, why impregnation might 
not as well be effected in the hive, as on the wing, in the 
open air. Two very obvious and important advantages 
would have resulted from such an arrangement. 1st. A few 
dozen drones would have sufficed for the wants of any 
colony, even if, (as in tropical climates,) it swarmed half a 
dozen times or oftener, in the same season. 2d. The young 
Queens would not have been exposed to the risks they now 
incur, in leaving the hive for fecundation. 

For a long time, I was unable to show how the existing 
arrangement is best ; although I never doubted that there 
must be a satisfactory reason, for this seeming imperfection. 
To suppose otherwise, would be highly unphilosophical, 
since we constantly see, as the circle of our knowledge en- 
larges, many mysteries in nature, hitherto inexplicable, fully 
cleared up. 

Let me here ask if the disposition which many students 
of nature cherish to reject some of the doctrines of revealed 
religion, is not equally unphilosophical. Neither our igno- 
rance of all the facts necessary to their full elucidation, nor 
our inability to harmonize these facts in their mutual rela- 
tions and dependencies, will justify us in rejecting any truth 
which God has seen fit to reveal, either in the book of na- 
ture, or in His holy word. The man who would substitute 
his own speculations for the divine teachings, has embarked, 
without rudder or chart, pilot or compass, on an uncertain 
ocean of theory and conjecture ; unless he turns his prow 



58 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

from its fatal course, no Sun of Righteousness will ever 

brighten for him the dreary expanse of waters ; storms and 

whirlwinds will thicken in gloom, on his " voyage of life," 

and no favoring gales will ever waft his shattered bark to a 

peaceful haven. 

The thoughtful reader will require no apology for the 

moralizing strain of many of my remarks, nor blame a 

clergyman, if sometimes forgetting to speak as the mere 

naturalist, he endeavors to find, 

'^ Tongues in trees, books in running brooks, 
Sermons in ^bees,'' and 'God'* in every thing." 

To return to the point from which I have digressed ; a 
new attempt to account for the existence of so many drones. 
If a farmer persists in what is called "breeding in and in," 
that is, from the same stock, without changing the blood, it is 
well known that ultimate degeneracy is the inevitable conse- 
quence. This law extends, as far as we know, to all animal 
life, and even man is not exempt from its influence. Have 
we any reason to suppose that the bee is an exception } or 
that degeneracy would not ensue, unless some provision 
were made to counteract the tendency to in and in breed- 
ing.'' If fecundation had taken place in the hive, the 
Queen bee must have been impregnated by drones from a 
common parent, and the same result must have taken place 
in each successive generation, until the whole species would 
eventually have " run out." By the present arrangement, 
the young Queens when they leave the hive, often find the 
air swarming with drones, many of which belong to other 
colonies, and thus by crossing the breed, a provision is con^ 
Btantly made to prevent deterioration. 

Experience has proved not only that it is unnecessary ta 
impregnation that there should be drones in the colony of the 
young Queen, but that this may be effected even when there 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 59 

are none except at a considerable distance. Intercourse 
takes place very high in the air, (perhaps that less risk may 
be incurred from birds,) and this conduces more to the con- 
tinual crossing of stocks. 

I am strongly persuaded that the decay of many flourish- 
ing stocks, even when managed with great care, may be 
attributed to the fact that they have become enfeebled by 
" close breeding," and are thus unable to resist injurious in- 
fluences which were comparatively harmless, when the bees 
were in a state of high physical vigor. In the chapter on 
Artificial Swarming, I shall explain how bees may be easily 
crossed, when a cultivator has too few colonies, or is too re- 
mote from other Apiaries, to depend upon its being naturally 
effected. 

The Workers, or Cobimon Bees. 

The number of workers in a hive varies very 
much. A good swarm ought to contain at 
least 20,000 ; and in large hives, strong colonies 
which are not reduced by swarming, frequently 
number two or three times as many, during the 
height of the breeding season. We have well-authenticated 
instances of stocks even much more populous than this. The 
Polish hives will hold several bushels, and yet we are in- 
formed by Mr. Dobrogost Chylinski, that they swarm regu- 
larly, and that the swarms are so powerful that " they re- 
semble a little cloud in the air." 

The workers, (as already staled,) are all females whose 
ovaries are too imperfectly developed to admit of their lay- 
ing eggs. For a long time, being regarded as neither males 
nor females, they were called Neuters ; but more careful 
microscopic examinations enable us to detect the rudiments 




60 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

of their ovaries, and thus determine their sex. The accuracy 
of these examinations has been verified by the well-known 
fects respecting fertile workers. 

Riem, a German Apiarian, first discovered that workers 
sometimes lay eggs. Huber, in the course of his investiga- 
tions on this subject, ascertained that such workers were 
raised in hives that had lost their Queen, and in the vicinity 
of the royal cells in which young Queens were rearing. He 
conjectured that they received accidentally^ a small portion 
of the peculiar food of these infant Queens, and he thus ac- 
counted for their reproductive organs being more developed 
than those of other workers. Workers reared in such hives, 
are in close proximity to the young Queens, and it is possi- 
ble that some of the royal jelly may be accidentally dropped 
into their cells. 

In the Summer of 1854, I examined a brood comb which 
had been given to a Queenless colony. It contained eleven 
sealed Queens. A number of cells were capped with a 
round covering, as though they contained drones. On open- 
ing several of them, I found some containing drone, and 
others worker nymphs. The latter seemed a little more 
sugar-loaf, in shape, than the common workers, and their 
cocoons were of a coarser texture than usual. I believe 
that they were fertile workers. I had noticed, for several 
years, in hives raising artificial Queens, the same kind of 
cells, and at first thought that they all contained drones. 
I am now inclined to believe that bees, when rearing Queens 
artificially, frequently give a portion of the royal jelly to 
brood which, for some reason, they do not proceed to de- 
velope, as full grown Queens. It is a well known fact that 
they often begin many more Queen cells, than they choose 
to complete. The kind of eggs laid by these fertile workers, 
has already been noticed. Huber states that they prefer 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 61 

large cells in which to deposit their eggs, and resort to small 
ones only when unable to find those of greater diameter. 
In one hive, in my Apiary, which contained a fertile worker, 
there was only a small piece of drone comb, and this was 
entirely filled with eggs, some of the cells containing three 
or four ! Such workers are seldom tolerated in hives con- 
taining a fertile, healthy Queen, though instances of this 
kind have been known to occur. 

The worker is much smaller than either the Queen or the 
drone.* She is furnished with a tongue or proboscis, of the 
most curious and complicated structure, which, when not in 
use, is nicely folded up under her body ; with this, she licks 
or brushes up the honey, which is thence conveyed to the 
honeg-bag. This receptacle is not larger than a very small 
pea, and so perfectly transparent, as to appear, when filled, 
of the same color with its contents ; it is properly the first 
stomach, and is surrounded by muscles which enable the 
bee to compress it, and empty its contents through her pro- 
boscis into the cells. 

The hinder legs of the worker are furnished with a spoon- 
shaped hollow, or basket, to receive the pollen or bee bread 
which she gathers from the flowers. 

Every worker is armed with a formidable sting, and when 
provoked, makes instant and effectual use of her natural 
weapon. When subjected to a microscopic examination, it 
exhibits a very curious and complicated mechanism. " It is 
movedt by muscles which, though invisible to the eye, are yet 
strong enough to force the sting, to the depth of one-twelfth 
of an inch, through the thick skin of a man's hand. At its 

* This work being intended chiefly for practical purposes, I have 
thought best to use, as little as possible, the technical terms and minute 
anatomical descriptions of the scientific entomologist. 

t Be van. 

6 



62 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 

root are situated two glands by which the poison is secreted : 
these glands uniting in one duct, eject the venomous liquid 
along the groove, formed by the junction of the two piercers. 
There are four barbs on the outside of each piercer : when 
the insect is prepared to sling, one of these piercers, having 
its point a little longer than the other, first darts into the 
flesh, and being fixed by its foremost beard, the other strikes 
in also, and they alternately penetrate deeper and deeper, 
till they acquire a firm hold of the flesh with their barbed 
hooks, and then follows the sheath, conveying the poison into 
the wound. The action of the sting, says Paley, affords an 
example of the union of chemistry and mechanism ; of chem- 
istry in respect to the venom^ which can produce such pow- 
erful effects ; of mechanism as the sting is a compound in- 
strument. The machinery would have been comparatively 
useles had it not been for the chemical process, by which in 
the insect's body honey is converted into poison ; and on the 
other hand, the poison would have been ineffectual, without 
an instrument to wound, and a syringe to inject it." 

" Upon examining the edge of a very keen razor by the 
microscope, it appears as broad as the back of a pretty thick 
knife, rough, uneven, and full of notches and furrows, and 
so far from anything like sharpness, that an instrument, as 
blunt as this seemed to be, would not serve even to cleave 
wood. An exceedingly small needle being also examined, 
it resembled a rough iron bar out of a smith's forge. The 
sting of a bee viewed through the same instrument, showed 
everywhere a polish amazingly beautiful, without the least 
flaw, blemish, or inequality, and ended in a point too fine to 
be discerned." 

As the extremity of ihe sting is barbed like an arrow, the 
bee can seldom withdraw it, if the substance into which she 
darts it, is at all tenacious. In losing her sting she parts 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 63 

with a portion of her intestines, and of necessity, soon per- 
ishes. 

The loss of their sting being always fatal, they pay dearly 
for the exercise of their patriotic instincts ; but they always 
seem ready, (except when gorged with honey they may be 
said to have taken " a drop too much,") to die in defence of 
their home and treasures ; or as the poet has expressed it, 
they 

''Deem life itself to vengeance well resign'd, 
Die on the wound, and leave their sting behind." 

Hornets, wasps and other stinging insects are able to with- 
draw their stings from the wound. I have never seen any 
attempt to account for the exception in the case of the honey 
bee. But as the Creator intended the bee for the use of man, 
has He not given it this peculiarity, to make it less formida- 
ble, and therefore more completely subject to human control ? 
Without a sting, it would have stood no chance of defending 
its tempting sweets against a host of greedy depredators ; 
but if it could sting a number of times, it would be much 
more difficult to bring it into a state of thorough domestica- 
tion. A quiver full of arrows in the hand of a skillful 
marksman, is far more to be dreaded than a single shaft.* 

The defence of the colony against enemies, the construc- 
tion of the cells, and the storing of them with honey and 
bee-bread, the rearing of the young, in short, the whole 

* Since the publication of the first edition of this treatise, during a 
visit to the Mexican Frontier, I had an opportunity of studying the 
habits of the honey hornet, of that region. Its nest, in shape and 
material, is considerably like that of our common hornet, and some 
of them contain many pounds of delicious honey. This insect, which 
in those regions is so serviceable to man, like the honey bee, is unable 
to withdraw its sting from the wound ! It has also a Queen, and lives 
in a colony state during the whole year. 



64 NATUBAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

work of the hive, the laying of eggs excepted, is carried on 
by the industrious little workers. 

There may be gentlemen of leisure in the commonwealth 
of bees, but most assuredly there are no such ladies, whether 
of high or low degree. The Queen herself, has her full 
share of duties, for it hiust be admitted, that the royal office 
is no sinecure, when the mother who fills it, must daily super- 
intend the proper deposition of several thousand eggs. 

Age of Bees. 

The Queen bee, (as already stated,) will live four, and 
sometimes, though very rarely, five or more years. As the 
life of the drones is usually cut short by violence, it is not 
easy to ascertain its precise limit. Bevan estimates it not to 
exceed four months. The workers are supposed by him,ta 
live six or seven months. Their age depends, however, very 
much upon their greater or less exposure to injurious influ- 
ences and severe labors. Those reared in the Spring and 
early part of Summer, and on whom the heaviest labors of 
the hive necessarily devolve, do not appear to live more than 
two or three months, while those which are bred at the close 
of Summer, and early in Autumn, being able to spend a 
large part of their time in repose, attain a much greater age» 
It is very evident that " the bee," (to use the words of a 
quaint old writer,) "is a Summer bird," and that with the 
exception of the Queen, none live to be a year old.* 

Notched and ragged wings, instead of gray hairs and 
wrinkled faces, are the signs of old age in the bee, and in- 

* If an Italian Queen be given, in the working season, to a colony of 
common bees, the great mass of the latter will disappear in aboui 
three months. This is a new, and perfectly conclusive proof, of the 
short lim.it of a worker's life-. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 65 

dicate that its season of toil will soon be over. They appear 
to die rather suddenly, and often spend their last days, and 
sometimes even their last hours, in useful labors. Place 
yourself before a hive, and see the indefatigable energy of 
these industrious veterans, toiling along with their heavy 
burdens, side by side with their more youthful compeers, 
and then say if you can, that you have done work enough, 
and that you will sun-ender yourself to slothful indulgence, 
while the ability for useful labor still remains. Let the 
cheerful hum of their busy old age inspire you with better 
resolutions, and teach you how much nobler it is to meet 
death in the path of duly, striving still, as you " have oppor- 
tunity," to " do good unto all men." 

The age which individual members of the community 
may attain, must not be confounded with that of the colony. 
Bees have been known to occupy the same domicile for a 
great number of years. I have seen flourishing colonies 
which were twenty years old ; the- Abbe Delia Rocca speaks 
of some over forty years old ; and Stoche says, that he saw 
a colony, which he was assured had subsisted forty-six 
years, swarming annually once ! Such cases have led to 
the erroneous opinion that bees are a long-lived race. But 
this, as Dr Evans has observed, is just as wise as if a stran- 
ger, contemplating a populous city, and personally unac- 
quainted with its inhabitants, should on paying it a second 
visit, many years after, and finding it equally populous, im- 
agine that it was peopled by the same individuals, not one of 
whom might then be living. 

" Like leaves on trees, the race of bees is found, 
Now green in youth, now withering on the ground ; 
Another race the Spring or Fall supplies, 
They droop successive, and successive rise." 

The cocoons spun by the larvse, are never removed by 
6* 



66 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

» 

the bees ; ihey adhere so closely to the sides of the cells, 
that the knowing bee understands that the labor of removal 
would cost far more than it would be worth. In course of 
time, the breeding cells become too small for the proper 
development of the young. In some cases, the bees must 
lake down and reconstruct the old combs, for if they did 
not, the young issuing from them would always be dwarfs ; 
whereas I once compared with other bees, those of a colony 
more than fifteen years old, and found no difference in their 
size. That they do not usually renew the old combs, must 
be admitted, as the young from very old hives are frequently 
under the average size. On this account, it is very desirable 
to be able, occasionally, to remove the old combs, that their 
place may be supplied with new ones. 

It is a great mistake, however, to imagine that the brood 
combs ought to be changed every year. In my hives, if it 
were desirable, they might be easily changed several times 
in a year ; but once in- five or six years is often enough : 
oftener than this requires a needless consumption of honey 
to replace them, besides being for other reasons undesirable, 
as the bees are always in Winter, much colder in new 
comb than in old. Inventors of hives have been too often, 
most emphatically, " men of one idea : " and that one, 
instead of being a vv^ell established and important fact in the 
physiology of the bee, has frequently, (like the necessity for 
a yearly change of the brood combs,) been merely a conceit 
of some visional"}^ projector. This might be harmless enough, 
were no effort made to impose such miserable crudities upon 
an ignorant public, either in the shape of a patented hive, or 
worse still, of an unpatented hive, the pretended right to use 
which, is fraudulently sold to the cheated purchaser ! * 

* Hives which have never been patented, are extensiv^ely sold as 
patent articles, by men, who for years, have been liable to prosecution, 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 67 

For want of correct knowledge with regard to the age of 
bees, huge " bee palaces," and large closets in garrets or 
attics, have been constructed, and their proprietors have 
vainly imagined that the bees would fill them, however spa- 
cious ; for they can see no reason why a colony should not 
continue to increase indefinitely, until at length it numbers 
its inhabitants by millions or billions ! As the bees can 
never at one time equal, still less exceed, the number which 
the Queen is capable of producing in a season, these spacious 
dwellings have always an abundance of " spare rooms." 
It seems strange that men can be thus deceived, when often 
in their own Apiary, they have healthy stocks which have 
not swarmed for a year or more, and which yet in the Spring 
are no more populous than those which have regularly 
parted with vigorous colonies. 

It is certain that the Creator, has wisely set a limit to the 
increase of numbers in a single colony ; and I shall venture 
to assign what appears to me to have been one reason for 
His so doing. Suppose that he had given to the bee, a length 
of life as great as that of the horse or the cow, or had made 
each Queen capable of laying daily, some hundreds of thou- 

for obtaining money under false pretences. Others are disposed of, on 
the ground that the patent is still pending^ when no application for a pa-^ 
tent has ever been made, or has long ago been rejected. Often the 
patented part of a hive, being a worthless conceit, is carefully con- 
cealed, while much ingenuity is displayed, in exhibiting those fea- 
tures in the hive, which any one has a right to use ; and yet which 
the vender, sometimes by implication, and sometimes by direct asser- 
tion, leads the purchaser to- believe, are essential features in the pa- 
tent. 

No one should ever purchase a '^ patent hive," until he ascertains at 
least two things : 1st, that there is really a patent on the invention ; 
and 2d, that the part patented is, in his opinion, worth the money 
demanded for the right to use it. 



68 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE* 

sands of eggs, or had given several hundred Queens to 
each hive, then from the very nature of the case, a colony 
must have gone on increasing, until it became a scourge 
rather than a benefit to man. In the warm climates of which 
the bee is a native, they would have established themselves 
in some cavern or capacious cleft in the rocks, and would 
soon have become so powerful, as to bid defiance to all 
attempts to appropriate the avails of their labors. 

It has already been stated, that none, except the mother 
wasps and hornets, survive the Winter. If these insects had 
been able, like the bee, to commence the season, with the 
accumulated strength of a large colony, long before its close, 
they would have proved an intolerable nuisance. If, on the 
contrary, the Queen bee had been compelled, solitary and 
alone, to lay ihe foundations of a new commonwealth, the 
honey-harvest would have disappeared long before she 
became the parent of a numerous family. 

In the laws which regulate the increase of bees, as well 
as in all other parts of their economy, we see the plainest 
proofs, that the insect was formed for the special service of 
the human race. 

The Process of Rearing the Queen more Particularly 
Described. 

In the early part of the season, if the population of a hive 
becomes very numerous, the bees usually make preparations 
for swarming. A number of royal cells are commenced, 
being usually placed upon those edges of the combs which 
are not attached to the sides of the hive. These cells some- 
what resemble a small ground-nut or pea-nut, and are about 
an inch deep, and one-third of an inch in diameter : being 
very thick, they require a large quantity of material for 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 69 

their construction. They are seldom seen, after the swarm- 
ing season, in a perfect state, as the bees nibble them away 
when the Queen has hatched, leaving only their remains, in 
the shape of a very small acorn-cup. On examining the 
Queen cells while they are in progress, one of the first 
things which excites our notice, is the very unusual amount 
of attention bestowed upon them by the workers. There is 
scarcely a second in which a bee is not peeping into them, 
and just as fast as one is satisfied, another pops in its head, 
to examine, if not to report progress. The importance of 
their inmates to the bee-community, might easily be inferred 
from their being the center of so much attraction. 

While the other cells open sideways, the Queen cells 
always hang with their mouth dowmvards. Much specula- 
tion has arisen as to the reason for this deviation : some have 
conjectured that their peculiar position exerts an influence 
upon the development of the royal larvse ; while others, 
having ascertained that no injurious effect was produced by 
turning them upwards, or placing them in any other position, 
have considered this deviation as among the inscrutable 
mysteries of the bee-hive. So it always seemed .to me, 
until more careful reflection enabled me to solve the problem. 
The Queen cells open downwards, simply to setve room !' 
The distance between the parallel ranges of comb is usually 
so small, that the bees could not have made the royal cells ta 
open sideways, without sacrificing the opposite cells. In 
order to economize space, to the utmost, they put them o.n 
the unoccupied edges of the comb,, as the only place where 
there is always plenty of room, for such very large cells. 

The number of royal cells in a hive, varies greatly ; 
sometimes there are only two or three, ordinarily there are 
five or six, and I have occasionally seen more than a dozen. 
They are not all commenced at once, for the bees do not 
intend that all the young Queens shall arrive at maturity, at 



70 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 

the same time. I do not consider it as fully settled, how the 
eggs are deposited in these cells. In some few instances, I 
have known the bees to transfer the eggs from common to 
Queen cells, and this may be their general method of pro- 
cedure. I shall hazard the conjecture, that the Queen 
deposits her eggs, in a crowded state of the hive, in cells on 
the edges of the comh, and that some of these are after- 
wards enlarged, and changed into royal cells by the 
workers. Such is the instinctive hatred of the Queen to 
her own kind, that it does not seem to me probable, that she 
is intrusted with even the initiatory steps for securing a race 
of successors. That the eggs from which the young Queens 
are produced, are of the same kind with those producing 
workers, has been repeatedly demonstrated. 

Royal Jelly. 

The young Queens are supplied with a much larger 
quantity of food than is allotted to the other larvse, so that 
they seem almost to float in a thick bed of jelly, a portion of 
which is usually left unconsumed at the base of the cells, 
after the insects have arrived at maturity. It is difl?erent from 
the food of the other larvse, has a slightly acid taste, and 
when fresh, resembles starch, when old, a light quince jelly. 

I submitted a portion of the royal jelly for analysis, to 
Dr. Charles M. Wetherell, of Philadelphia ; a very interesting 
account of his examination may be found in the proceedings 
of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences for July, 
1852. He speaks of the substance as " truly a bread-con- 
taining, albuminous compound." I hope to obtain from this 
able chemist, an analysis of the food of the young drones 
and workers. A comparison of its elements with those of 
the royal jelly, may throw some light on subjects as yet in- 
volved in obscurity. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 71 

The effects produced upon the larvse by this peculiar 
food and method of treatment, are so very remarkable, that 
it is not strange that they should be rejected as idle whims, 
by nearly all, except those who have either been, eye-wit- 
nesses to them, or have been well acquainted with the char- 
acter and opportunities for accurate observation, of those on 
w^hose testimony they have received them. They are not only 
in themselves most marvelously strange, but on the face of 
them, so entirely opposed to all common analogies, and so 
very improbable, that many men when asked to believe 
ihem, feel almost as though an insult were offered to their 
common sense. The most important of these effects, I shall 
briefly enumerate. 

1st. The peculiar mode in which the worm designed to be 
reared as a Queen, is treated, causes it to arrive at maturity, 
almost one-third earlier than if it had been bred a worker. 
And yet, as it is to be much more fully developed, according 
to ordinary analogy, it should have had a sloioer groiolh. 

2d, Its organs of reproduction are completely developed, 
so that it is capable of fulfilling the office of a mother. 

3d. Its size, shape and color are all greatly changed. Its 
lower jaws are shorter, its head rounder, its abdomen with- 
out the receptacles for secreting wax, and its legs have 
neither brushes nor baskets, while its sting is more curved, 
and one-third longer than that of a worker. 

4th. Its instincts are entirely changed. Reared as a 
worker, it would have been ready to thrust out its sting at 
the least provocation ; whereas now, it may be pulled limb 
from limb, without attempting to sting. As a worker it 
would have treated a Queen with the greatest consideration ; 
whereas now, if brought into contact with another Queen, 
it rushes forthwith to mortal combat with it rival. As a 
worker, it would frequently have left the hive, either for 



72 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 

labor or exercise : as a Queen, it never leaves the hive, 
after impregnation, except to accompany a new swarm. 

5lh. The term of its life is remarkably lengthened. As 
a worker, it would not have lived more than six or seven 
months ; as a Queen it may live seven or eight times as 
long ! All these wonders rest on the impregnable basis 
of complete demonstration, and instead of being witnessed 
only by a select few, may now, by the use of my hive, be 
familiar sights to any bee keeper, who prefers to acquaint 
himself with facts, rather than to cavil and sneer at the 
labors of others.* 

* Having already spolien of Swammerdam, I shall give from the 
celebrated Dr. Boerhaave's memoir of this wonderful naturaUst, a 
brief extract which should put to the blush, if any thing can, the arro- 
gance of those superficial observers, who are too wise in their own 
conceit, to avail themselves of the knowledge of others. 

" This treatise on Bees proved so fatiguing a performance, that 
Swammerdam never afterwards recovered even the appearance of his 
former heaUh and vigor. He was almost continually engaged by day 
in making observations, and as constantly engaged by night in record- 
ing them by drawings and suitable explanations." 

"This being Summer work, his daily labor began at six in the 
morning, when the sun afforded him light enough to survey such mi- 
nute objects ; and from that hour till twelve, he continued without in- 
terruption, all the while exposed in the open air to the scorching heat 
of the sun, bareheaded for fear of intercepting his sight, and his head 
in a manner dissolving into sweat under the irresistible ardors of that 
powerful luminary. And if he desisted at noon, it was only because 
the strength of his eyes was too much weakened, by the extraordinary 
afflux of light, and the use of microscopes, to continue any longer upon 
such small objects, though as discernable in the afternoon, as they had 
been in the forenoon." 

" Our author, the better to accomplish his vast, unlimited views, 
often wished for a year of perpetual heat and light to perfect his in- 
quiries, with a polar night to reap all the advantages of them, by 
proper drawings and descriptions." 



NATURAL HISTORY OP THE HONEY BEE. 73 

When provision has been made, in the manner described, 
for a new race of Queens, the old mother, (See Chap, on 
Swarming,) always departs with the first swarm, before her 
successors have arrived at maturity. 

Artificial Rearing of Queens. 

The distress of the bees when they lose their Queen, has 
already been described. If they have the means of supply- 
ing her loss, they soon calm down, and commence the ne- 
cessary steps for rearing another. The process of rearing 
Queens artificially, to meet some special emergency, is even 
more wonderful than the natural one already described. Its 
success depends on the bees having worker-eggs, or worms 
not more than three days old* ; the bees nibble away the 
partitions of two cells adjoining a third, so as to make one 
large cell out of the three. They destroy the eggs or worms 
in two of these cells, while they place before the occupant 
of the third, the usual food of the young Queens, and build 
out its cell, so as to give it ample space for development. 
They seldom confine themselves to the attempt to rear a 
single Queen, but to guard against failure, start a considera- 
ble number, although the work on all except a few, is often 
soon discontinued. 

In twelvet or fourteen days, they are in possession of a 
new Queen, precisely similar to one reared in the natural 
way ; while the eggs which were laid at the same time in 
the adjoining cells, and which have been developed in the 
usual way, are nearly a week longer in coming to maturity. 

The beautiful representation of comb which I here present 

* Some Apiarians believe that the worms may be older, 
t I once had two Queens hatched in eleven days after the old Queen 
was removed. 

7 



74 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 

to my readers, was taken, with some alterations, from " Cot- 
ton's My Bee Book," to which I am also indebted for the 
group of bees in the title page.* The dimensions of the 
cells are considerably reduced : the larger ones, on the right 
hand of the plate, towards the bottom, are of drone size. 
One of the royal cells on the right contains an unhatched 
Queen, from the other which is open at the base, the Queen 
has emerged. The Queen cell on the left which is open at 
the side, is one from which a young Queen has been vio- 
lently extracted ; the other is in an unfinished state. On 
the face of the comb is a Queen cell just begun, of the 
kind constructed when Queens are reared artificially. The 
natural Queen cells are almost always on the edges of the 
comb, and the artificial ones, (those built to meet some un- 
expected emergency,) on the face. 

I will give in this connection a description of a highly inter- 
esting experiment : 

A large hive standing at a distance from any other colony, 
was removed in the morning of a pleasant day, to a new 
place, and another hive containing only empty comb, was 
put upon its stand. Thousands of workers which were out 
in the fields, or which left the old hive after its removal, re- 
turned to the familiar spot. It was affecting to witness their 
grief and despair : they flew in restless circles about the 
place where once stood their happy home, entered and left 
the new hive continually, expressing, in various ways, their 
lamentations over so cruel a bereavement. Towards even- 
ing, they ceased to take wing, and roamed in restless pla- 
toons, in and out of the hive, and over ils surface, acting all 
the time, as though in search of some lost treasure. 1 now 

* Instead of the original motto, "■ God save the Queen and all the 
Eoyal Family," I have substituted one which seems to me to be much 
wore in accordance with nature and truth. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 75 

gave them a small piece of brood comb, containing worker 
eggs and worms. What followed the introduction of this 
brood comb, took place much quicker than it can be described. 
The bees which first touched it, raised a peculiar note, and in 
a moment, the comb was covered with a dense mass ; their 
restless motions and mournful noises ceased, and a cheerful 
hum at once proclaimed their delight ! Despair gave place 
to hope, as they recognized in this small piece of comb, the 
means of their deliverance. Imagine a large building filled 
with thousands of persons, tearing their hair, beating their 
breasts, and by piteous cries, as well as frantic gestures, 
giving vent to their despair ; if some one should enter this 
house of mourning, and by a single word, cause all these 
demonstrations of agony to give place to smiles and con- 
gratulations, the change would not be more instantaneous 
and wonderful, than that produced when the bees received 
the brood comb ! 

The Orientals call the honey bee, Deborah, " She that 
speaketh." Would that this little insect might speak, and 
in words more eloquent than any of man's device, to those 
who allow themselves to reject the doctrines of revealed re- 
ligion, because, as they assert, they are, on their face so ut- 
terly improbable, that they labor under an a priori objection 
quite strong enough to be fatal to their credibility. Do not 
nearly all the steps in the development of a Queen from a 
worker-egg, labor under precisely the same objection ? and 
have they not, for this very reason, always been regarded by 
great numbers of bee keepers, as unworthy of belief.? If 
the favorite argument of infidels will not stand the test when 
applied to the wonders of the bee-hive, can it be regarded as 
entided to any serious weight, when employed in framing 
objections against religious truths, and arrogantly taking to 
task the infinite Jehovah, for what He has been pleased to 



76 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BE®. 

do or to teach ? Give me the same latitude claimed by such 
objectors, and I can easily prove that a man is under no 
obligation to receive as true, any of the wonders in the 
economy of the bee-hive, even although he is himself an in- 
telligent eye-witness that they are all substantial verities. 

I shall quote, in this connection, from Huish, an English 
Apiarian, whose objections to the discoveries of Huber, so 
forcibly resemble many which are urged against the doc- 
trines of revealed religion. 

" If an individual, with the view of acquiring some knowl- 
edge of the natural history of the bee, or of its management, 
consult the works of Bagster, Bevan, or any of the periodi- 
cals which casually treat upon the subject, will he not rise 
from the study of them with his mind surcharged with falsi- 
ties and mystification ? Will he not discover through the 
whole of them a servile acquiescence in the opinions and 
discoveries of one man, however at variance they may be 
with truth or probability ; and if he enter upon the discussion 
with his mind free from prejudice, will he not experience 
that an outrage has been committed upon his reason, in call- 
ing upon him to give assent to positions and principles which 
at best are merely assumed, but to which he is called upon 
dogmatically to subscribe his acquiescence as the indubitable 
results of experience, skill and ability ? The editors of the 
works above alluded to, should boldly and indignantly have 
declared, that from their own experience in the natural 
economy of the insect, they were able to pronounce the cir- 
cumstances as related by Huber to be directly imjyossible, 
and the whole of them based on fiction and imposition." 

Let the reader change only a few words in this extract : 
for " the natural history of the bee, or its management,'' 
let him write, " the subject of revealed religion ;" for, " the 
works of Bagster, Bevan," &c., let him put, "the works of 



COMB. 77 

Moses, Paul," &;c. ; for, " their own experience in the natu- 
ral economy of the insect," let him substitute, " their own 
experience in the nature of man ;" and for, " circumstances 
as related by Huber," let him insert, " as related by Luke 
or John," and it will sound almost precisely like a passage 
from some infidel author. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Comb. 

Wax is a natural secretion of the bees ; it may be called 

their oil or fat. If they are gorged with honey or any 

liquid sweet, and remain quietly clustered together, it is 

formed in small wax pouches on their abdomen, and comes 

out in the shape of very delicate scales. Soon after a swarm 

is hived, the bottom board will often be covered with these 

scales. The bees seem to aid its liberation from their bodies, 

by violently shaking themselves, as they stand upon the 

combs. 

" Thus, filtered through yon flutterer's folded mail, 
Clings the cooled wax, and hardens to a scale. 
Swift, at the well known call, the ready train, 
(For not a buz boon Nature breathes in vain,) 
Spring to each falling flake, and bear along 
Their glossy burdens to the builder throng. 
These with sharp sickle or with sharper tooth, 
Pare each excrescence, and each angle smooth, 
Till now, in finish'd pride, two radiant rows 
Of snow white cells one mutual base disclose. 
Six shining panels gird each polish'd round, 
The door's fine rim, with waxen fillet bound, 
While walls so thin, with sister walls combined, 
Weak in themselves, a sure dependence find." 

Evans. 



78^ COMB. 

Huber was the first to demonstrate that wax is a natural 
secretion of the bee, when fed on honey or any saccharine 
substance. Most Apiarians before his time, supposed that it 
was made from pollen or bee-bread, either in a crude or 
digested state. He confined a new swarm of bees in a hive 
placed in a dark and cool room, and on examining them, at 
the end of five days, found several beautiful while combs in 
their tenement : these were taken from them, and ihey were 
again confined a.nd supplied with honey and water, and a 
second time new combs were constructed. Seven times in^ 
succession their combs were removed, and were in each 
instance replaced, the bees being all the time prevented from' 
ranging the fields, to supply themselves with bee-bread. 
By subsequent experiments he proved that sugar answered 
the same end with honey. He then confined a swarm, 
giving them no honey, but an abundance of fruit and pollen. 
They subsisted on the fruit, but refused to touch the pollen ;; 
and no combs were constructed, nor any wax scales formed 
in their pouches. 

Notwithstanding the extreme caution and unwearied pa- 
tience of Huber, in conducting these experiments on the 
secretion of wax, later observations seem to show, that he- 
had not discovered the loliole truth on this important subject. 
He has demonstrated, to be sure, that bees can construct 
comb from honey or sugar, without the aid of pollen, and 
that they cannot make it from poMen^ without the honey or 
sugar : but he has not proved that when permanently de- 
prived of pollen they can continue to work in wax, or if 
they can, that the pollen does not assist in its elaboration. 

A portion of pollen is always found in the stomach of a^ 
wax-producing worker, and bees appear never to build comb- 
so rapidly, as when they have free access to this article. 
It must, therefore, either furnish some of the elements o0 



COMB. T^ 

wax, or in some way aid the bee in producing it. Further 
investigations must yet be made, and colonies confined with 
honey and pollen, as well as honey alone, before we can 
arrive at perfectly accurate results. Confident assertions are 
easily made, requiring only a little breath or a few drops of 
ink ; and the men who deal most in them, have often the 
profoundest contempt for observation and experiment. To 
establish even a simple truth, on the solid foundation of 
demonstrated facts, often requires severe and protracted toil. 

A high temperature is necessary for comb-building, in 
order that the wax may be soft enough to be moulded into 
shape. The very process of its secretion aids in furnishing 
the heat which is required to work it. This is an interesting 
fact, but one which seems never before to have been noticed. 

Honey and sugar are each found to contain by weight, 
about eight pounds of oxygen to one of carbon and hydro^. 
gen. When converted into wax,, the proportions are remark- 
ably changed ; the wax containing only one pound of oxygen 
to more than sixteen of hydrogen and carbon. Now as 
oxygen is the grand supporter of animal heat, the consump- 
tion of so large a quantity helps to produce the extraordinary 
heat which always accompanies comb-building, and which is 
necessary to keep the wax in the soft and plastic state requi- 
site to enable the bees to mould it into such exquisitely deli- 
cate and beautiful forms.* Who can fail to admire the 
wisdom of the Creator in this beautiful intance of adapta- 
tion ? 

The most careful experiments have clearly established the 
fact, that from thirteen to twenty pounds of honey are 
required to make a single pound of wax. If any think this 
incredible, let them bear in mind that wax is an animal oil 

* According to Dr. DonhofF, the thickness of the sides of a cell, in 
a Eew comb, is oaly the one hundred and eightieth, part of aa inch !■ 



80 COMB. 

secreted chiefly from honey, and then consider how much 
corn or hay they must feed to their stock, in order to have 
them gain a single pound of fat. 

Many Apiarians are entirely ignorant of the great value of 
empty comb. Suppose the honey to be worth only fifteen 
cents per pound, and the comb when rendered into wax, to 
be worth thirty cents, the bee-master who melts a pound of 
comb, loses largely by the operation, even without estimating 
the time which the bees have consumed in building the comb. 
Unfortunately, in the ordinary hives, but little use can be 
made of empty comb, unless it is new, and can be put into 
the surplus honey-boxes ; but by the use of bars or movable 
frames, every piece of good worker-comb may be given to 
the bees, to aid them in their labors. 

Comb, when taken from the bees, is with difficulty pre- 
served from the bee-moth. If it contains only a few of the 
eggs of this destroyer, these, when exposed to summer heat, 
will soon produce a progeny sufficient to devour it. The 
comb, if attached to my frames, may be suspended in a 
box or empty hive, and thoroughly smoked with sulphur ; 
this will kill any worms which it may contain. When the 
weather is warm enough to hatch the eggs of the moth, this 
process must be repeated, as the sulphur does not seem 
always to destroy the vitality of the eggs. The combs may 
then be kept in a tight box or hive, with perfect safety. 

Combs containing bee-bread, are of great value, and if 
given to young colonies, which in Spring are frequently 
destitute of this article, they will materially assist them in 
early breeding. 

A strong stock of bees, in the height of the honey harvest, 
will fill empty combs with wonderful rapidity. I lay it 
down, therefore, as one of my first principles in bee culture, 
that good comb should never be melted, but carefully pre- 



COMB. 81 

served and given to the bees. When new, it may be easily 
attached to the frames, or the honey-receptacles, by dipping 
the edge into melted wax, and pressing it gently until it 
stiffens : if old or the pieces large and full of bee-bread, it 
will be best to dip them into a mixture of melted wax and 
rosin, which will secure a firmer adhesion. When comb is 
put into tumblers or other small vessels, the bees will begin 
to work upon it sooner, if it is simply crowded in, so as to 
be held in place by being supported against the sides. It 
would seem as though, disgusted wiih such unworkmanlike 
proceedings, they could not rest until they have endeavored 
to " make a good job of it." 

Bees seem to fancy " a good start in life," about as well 
as their more intelligent owners, and are greatly encouraged 
in filling all receptacles in which a portion of empty comb 
is placed. To this use all suitable drone comb should be put, 
as soon as removed from the main hive. 

Artificial honey combs, made of porcelain, have recently 
been used for feeding bees. No one, to my knowledge, has 
ever attempted to imitate the delicate mechanism of the bee 
so closely, as to construct artificial combs for the ordinary 
uses of the hive ; although for a long time I have entertained 
the idea as very desirable, and yet as barely possible. If 
store combs could be made of gutta percha, when emptied 
of their contents they might be returned to the hive, again to 
be filled by the bees. 

While writing this treatise, it has occurred to me that 
bees might be induced to use old wax for the construction of 
their combs. If very fine parings are given to them, it seems 
to me very probable that they would use them, just as they 
do the scales which are formed in their wax pouches. Let 
strong colonies be deprived of some of their combs, after 
the honey harvest is over, and supplied abundantly with 



82 COMB. 

these parings of wax. Whether " nature abhors a vacuum," 
or not, bees certainly do, when it occurs among the combs 
of their main hive. They will not consume the honey stored 
up for winter use to replace the combs taken from them ; 
they can gather none from the flowers ; and I have strong 
hopes that necessity will with bees as well as men, prove the 
mother of invention, and lead them to use the wax, as readily 
as they do the substitutes offered them for pollen. 

If this conjecture should be verified by actual results, it 
would promote the cheap and rapid multiplication of colonies, 
besides enabling the bees to amass unusual quantities of 
honey. A pound of bees wax might then be made to store 
up nearly twenty of honey, and the gain to the bee-keeper 
would be the great difTerence in price between the pound of 
wax, and the honey which bees consume in making the same 
weight of comb. Strong stocks might thus during the dull 
season, when no honey can be procured, be profitably em- 
ployed in building spare comb, to be used in strengthening 
feeble stocks, and for a great variety of purposes. Give me 
the means of cheaply obtaining large quantities of comb, 
and I have almost found the philosopher's stone in bee- 
keeping.* 

The building of comb is carried on with the greatest 
activity by night, while the honey is gathered by day.t 
Thus no time is lost. When the weather is so forbidding as 
to prevent the bees from going abroad, the combs are very 
rapidly constructed, the labor being carried on both by day 
and by night. On the return of a fair day, the bees gather 

* I have ascertained that bees will use fine shavings of wax to build 
new comb; but further investigations are needed, to make the dis- 
covery of practical advantage to the great mass of bee-keepers. 

1 1 have known bees to gather honey from the tuHp tree, on very 
clear moonlight nights. 



COMB. 83 

unusual quantities of honey, as they have plenty of room for 
its storage. Thus it often happens, that by their wise 
economy of time, they actually lose nothing, even if confined, 
for several days, to their hive. 

"How doth the Httle busy bee, improve each shining hour !" 

The poet might with equal truth have described her, as 
improving the gloomy days, and the dark nights, in her 
useful labors. 

It is an interesting fact, which I do not remember ever to 
have seen noticed, that honey-gathering, and comb-building, 
go on simultaneously ; so that when one stops, the other 
ceases also. I have repeatedly observed, that as soon as the 
honey harvest fails, the bees intermit their labors in building 
new comb, even although large portions of their hive are 
unfilled. If they should use their stores to enlarge their 
combs, they would incur the risk of perishing in the Winter, 
by starvation. When honey no longer abounds in the fields, 
it is wisely ordered, that they ■ should not consume their 
hoarded treasures, in expectation of supplies which may 
never come. Could any safer rule have been given them > 
And were honey-gathering our business, should not we, with all 
our boasted reason, be obliged to adopt the very same course } 

Wax being a bad conductor, when warmed by the animal 
heat of the bees can more easily be worked, than if it 
parted with its heat too readily. By this property, the combs 
serve also to keep the bees warm, and there is not so much 
risk of the honey candying in the cells, or the combs crack- 
ing with frost. If wax was a good conductor of heat, the 
combs would often be icy cold, moisture would condense 
and freeze upon them, and they would fail to answer all the 
ends for which they are intended. 

The size of the cells, in which workers are reared, never 



84 COMB. 

varies : the same may substantially be said of the drone 
cells which are very considerably larger ; the cells in which 
honey is stored, often vary exceedingly in depth, while in 
diameter, they are of all sizes from that of the v^orker cells 
to that of the drones. As five worker, or four drone cells 
will measure about one linear inch, a piece of comb an inch 
square, will contain twenty-five worker and sixteen drone 
cells, on each side. 

The cells of the bees are found to answer perfectly all 
the most subtle conditions of a very intricate mathematical 
problem. Let it be required to find what shape a given 
quantity of matter must take, in order to have the greatest 
capacity and strength^ requiring at the same time, the least 
space and lalor in its construction. This problem, when 
solved by the most refined mathematical processes, gives the 
hexagonal or six-sided cell of the honey bee, with its three 
four sided figures at the base ! 

The shape of these figures cannot be altered, ever so lit- 
tle, except for the worse. Besides possessing the desirable 
qualities already described, they answer as nurseries for 
rearing the young, and as small air-tight vessels to preserve 
the honey from souring or candying. Every prudent house- 
wife who puts up her preserves in tumblers, or small glass 
jars, and carefully pastes them over, to keep out the air, will 
understand the value of such an arrangement. 

" There are only three possible figures of the cells," says 
Dr. Reid, " which can make them all equal and similar, 
without any useless spaces between them. These are the 
equilateral triangle, the square, and the regular hexagon. 
It is well known to mathematicians that there is not a fourth 
way possible, in which a plane may be cut into little spaces 
that shall be equal, similar and regular, without leaving any 
interstices," 



COMB, 85 

An equilateral triangle would have madean uncomforiable 
tenement for an insect with a round body ; and a square cell 
would not have been much better. At first sight a circle 
would seem to be the best shape for the development of the 
larvee : but such a figure would have caused a needless sac- 
rifice of space, materials and strength ; while the honey 
which now adheres so admirably to the many angles and 
corners of the six-sided cell, would have been much more 
liable to run out. I will venture to assign a new reason for 
the hexagonal form. The body of the immature insect as 
it undergoes its changes, is charged with a super-abundance 
of moisture which passes off through the reticulated cover 
which the bees build over its cell : a hexagon while it 
approaches so nearly the shape of a circle as not to incom- 
mode the young bee, furnishes in its six corners the neces- 
sary vacancies for its more thorough ventilation ! 

So invariably uniform in size, as well as perfect in other 
respects, are the cells in which the workers are bred, that 
some mathematicians have proposed their adoption as the 
best unit for measures of capacity to serve for universal use. 

Can we believe that in the construction of their cells, 

these little insects unite so many requisites, either by chance, 

or because they are profoundly versed in the most intricate 

mathematics ? Are we not compelled to acknowledge that 

the mathematics must be referred to the Creator, and not to 

his puny creature ? To an intelligent and candid mind, a 

piece of honey comb is a complete demonstration that there 

is a " GREAT FIRST CAUSE : " for on no other supposition can 

we account for a shape so complicated, and yet the only one 

which can possibly unite so many desirable requirements. 

♦' On books deep poring, ye pale sons of toil, 
Who waste in studious trance the midnight oil, 
Say, can ye emulate with all your rules. 
Drawn or from Grecian or from Gothic schools, 

8 



S6 PROPOLIS. 

This artless frame ? Instinct her simple guide, 
A heaven-taught Insect baffles all your pride. 
Not all yon raarshall'd orbs, that ride so high, 
Proclaim more loud a present Deity, 
Than the nice symmetry of these small cells, 
Where on each angle genuine science dwells." 

Evans. 



CHAPTER V. 

Propolis^ or " Bee-Glue." 

This substance is obtained by the bees from the resinous 
buds and limbs of trees ; the different varieties of poplar 
yield a rich supply. When first gathered, it is usually of a 
bright golden color, and so exceedingly sticky, that the bees 
never deposit it in cells, but apply it at once to the pur- 
poses for which it has been gathered. J have sometimes 
caught them as they v^^ere bringing in a load, and found it 
adhering very firmly to their legs. 

" Huber planted in Spring some branches of the wild 
poplar, before the leaves were developed, and placed them 
in pots near his Apiary ; the bees alighted on them, separat- 
ed the folds of the large buds with their forceps, extracted 
the varnish in threads, and loaded with it, first one thigh and 
then the other ; for they convey it like pollen, transferring 
it by the first pair of legs to the second, by which it is lodged 
in the hollow of the third." 

The smell of the propolis is often like that of the resin 
from the poplar, and chemical analysis proves the identity of 
the two substances. It is frequently gathered from the 



PROPOLIS. 87 

alder, horse-chestnut, birch, and willow ; and as some think, 
from pines and other trees of the fir kind. Bees will enter 
shops where varnishing is being carried on, attracted, evi- 
dently by the smell ; and in the vicinity of Matamoras, 
Mexico, where propolis seems to be scarce, I found a colony 
using green paint, and another pitch from the rigging of ves- 
sels ! Bevan mentions the fact of their carrying off a com- 
position of wax and turpentine, from trees to which it had 
been applied. Dr. Evans says that he has seen them collect 
the balsamic varnish which coats the young blossom buds of 
the hollyhock, and has known them rest at least ten minutes 
on the same bud, moulding the balsam with their fore feet, 
and transferring it to the hinder legs, as described by Huber. 

" With merry hum the Willow's copse they scale, 
The Fir's dark pyramid, or Poplar pale, 
Scoop from the Alder's leaf its oozy flood, 
Or strip the Chestnut's resin-coated bud, 
Skim the light tear that tips Narcissus' ray, 
Or round the hollyhock's hoar fragrance play. 
Soon temper'd to their will through eve's low beam, 
And link'd in airy bands the viscous stream, 
They waft their nut-brown loads exulting home, 
That form a fret-work for the future comb ; 
Caulk every chink where rushing winds may roar, 
And seal their circling ramparts to the floor." 

Evans. 

A mixture of wax and propolis being much more adhesive 
than wax alone, serves admirably to strengthen the attach- 
ments of the combs to the top and sides of the hive. If the 
combs, as soon as they are built, are not filled with honey or 
brood, they are beautifully varnished with a most delicate 
coating of propolis, which adds exceedingly to their strength : 
but as this natural varnish impairs their snowy whiteness, 
they ought not to be left in the surplus honey receptacles, 
accessible to the bees, except when they are actively engaged 
in storing them with honey. 



88 PROPOLIS. 

The bees make a very liberal use of this substance to fi}l 
up all the crevices about their premises : and as the natural 
summer heat of the hive keeps it soft, the bee moth selects 
it as a proper place of deposit for her eggs. For this reason, 
hives should be made of sound lumber, entirely free from 
cracks. The corners, vt^hich the bees always fill with propo- 
lis, may have a melted mixture run into them, three parts of 
rosin, and one of bees-wax ; this remaining hard during the 
hottest weather, bids defiance to ihe moth. 

As the bees find it difficult to gather the propolis, and 
equally so to remove from their thighs and work so sticky a 
material, it is important lo save them all unnecessary labor 
in amassing it. To men, time is money ; to bees, it is honey ; 
and all the arrangements of the hive should be such as to 
economize it to the very utmost. 

Propolis is sometimes put to a very curious use by the 
bees. " A snail* having crept into one of M. Reaumur's 
hives early in the morning, after crawling about for some 
time, adhered by means of its own slime to one of the glass 
panes. The bees having discovered the snail, surrounded it 
and formed a border of propolis round the verge of its shell, 
and fastened it so securely to the glass that it became im- 
movable." 

" Forever closed the impenetrable door, 
It naught avails that in its torpid veins 
Year after year, life's loitering spark remains." 

Evans. 

*' Maraldi, another eminent Apiarian, states that a snail 
without a shell having entered one of his hives, the bees, as 
soon as they observed it, stung it to death ; after which, 
being unable to dislodge it, they covered it all over with ah 
impervious coat of propolis." 

* Bevan. 



PROPOLIS. 89 

" For soon in fearless ire, their wonder lost, 
Spring fiercely from the comb the indignant host, 
Lay the pierced monster breathless on the ground. 
And clap in joy their victor pinions round : 
While all in vain concurrent numbers strive, 
To heave ihe slime-girt giant from the hive — 
Sure not alone by force instinctive swayed. 
But blest with reason's soul directing aid, 
Alike in man or bee, they haste to pour, 
Thick hard'ning as it falls, the flaky shower ; 
Embalmed in shroud of glue the mummy lies, 
No worms invade, no foul miasmas rise." 

Evans. 

" In these instances who can withhold his adnniration of 
the ingenuity and judgment of the bees ? In the first case 
a troublesome creature gained admission to the hive, which, 
from its unwieldiness, they could not remove, and which, 
from the impenetrability of its shell, they could not destroy : 
here then their only resource was to deprive it of locomo- 
tion, and to obviate putrefaction ; both which objects they 
accomplished most skillfully and securely ; and as is usual 
with these sagacious creatures, at the least possible expense 
of labor and materials. They applied their cement where 
alone it was required, round the verge of the shell. In the 
latter case, to obviate the evil of decay, by the total exclu- 
sion of air, they were obliged to be more lavish in the use 
of their embalming material, and to case over the " slime- 
girt giant " so as to guard themselves from his noisome 
smell. What means more effectual could human wisdom 
have devised under similar circumstances .?" 

A large volume would not suffice to set forth all the 
superstitions connected with bees. While on the subject of 
Propolis, I will refer to one which is very common, and has 
often made a deep impression upon many minds. When 
any member of a family dies, the bees are believed to be 
aware of what has happened, and the hives are by some 
8* 



90 POLLEI!r, 

dressed in mourning, to pacify their sorrowing occupants ! 
Some persons imagine that if this is not done, the bees will 
never afterwards prosper, while others assert, that they 
often take their loss so much to heart, as to alight upon the 
coffin whenever it is exposed ! An intelligent clergyman on 
reading the sheets of this work, stated to me that he had 
always refused to credit this latter fact, until present at a 
funeral where the bees gathered in such large numbers upon 
the coffin, as soon as it was brought out from the house, as 
to excite considerable alarm. Some years after this occur- 
rence, being engaged in varnishing a table, and finding that 
the bees came and lit upon it, he was convinced that the love 
of varnish, (see p. 87,) instead of sorrow or respect for the 
dead, was the occasion of their gathering round the coffin \ 
How many superstitions in which even intelligent persons 
firmly confide, might if all the facts were known, be as easily 
explained. 



CHAPTER TI. 

Pollen, or '« Bee-Bread." 

This substance is gathered by the bees from the flowers, 
or blossoms, and is indispensable to the nourishment of their 
young, as repealed experiments have proved that no brood 
can be raised without it. It is rich in what chemists call 
nitrogenous substances, which are not contained in honey, 
and which furnish ample nourishment for the development 
of the growing bee. Dr. Hunter dissected some immature 



POLLEN. 91 

bees, and found their stomachs to contain farina, but not a 
particle of honey. 

We are indebted to Huber for the discovery that pollen is 
the principal food of the young bees. As large supplies are 
often found in hives vi^hose inmates have starved to death, it 
was evident that it could not, without honey, support the 
mature bees. It was this fact which led the old observers to- 
conclude that it was gathered for the purpose of building 
comb. After Huber had demonstrated that wax can be 
secreted from an entirely different substance, he was soon led 
to conjecture that the bee-bread must be used for the nour- 
ishment of the embrj'o bees. By rigid experiments he 
proved the truth of this supposition. Bees were confined to 
their hive without any pollen, after being supplied with 
honey, eggs and larvse. In a short time the young all per- 
ished. A fresh supply of brood was given to them, with an 
ample allowance of pollen, and the development of the 
larvse then proceeded in the natural way. 

In the backward Spring of 1852, I had an excellent op- 
portunity of testing the value of this substance. In one of 
my hives, was an artificial swarm of the previous year. 
The hive was well protected, being double, and the siiuaiioR 
warm. I opened it on the 5th of February, and although 
the weather, until within a week of that time, had been 
unusually cold, many of the cells were filled with brood. 
On the 23d, the combs being again examined, contained 
neither eggs, brood, nor bee-bread. The bees were then 
supplied with pollen from another hive : the next day, a 
large number of eggs were found in the cells. When this 
supply was exhausted, laying ceased, and was resumed 
when more was furnished them. During the time of these 
experiments, the weather was so unpromising, that the bees 
were unable to go out even for water, and were supplied at 
home with this important article. 



92 POLLEN. 

Dzierzon is of opinion that bees are able to furnish food 
for their young, without the presence of pollen in the hive ; 
although he admits that they can do this only for a short 
time, and at a great expense of vital energy ; just as the 
strength of an animal nursing its young is rapidly reduced, 
when for want of proper food, the very substance of its own 
body is converted into milk. My experiments do not cor- 
roborate this theory, but tend to confirm the views of Huber, 
that pollen is absolutely necessary to the development of 
brood. 

Gundelach says, that if a colony with a fertile Queen be 
put into an empty hive and set in the dark, and then supplied 
with honey, comb will be rapidly built, and the cells filled 
with eggs. The eggs in due time will be hatched, but the 
worms will all die within twenty-four hours. 

Some Apiarians think that pollen is used by the bees when 
they are engaged in comb-building ; and that unless they are 
well supplied with it, they cannot rapidly secrete wax, with- 
out very severely taxing their strength. I once attached 
but little weight to this conjecture, but further observations 
have convinced me of its truth : for if bees are supplied 
with an abundance of pollen and honey, ihey will produce 
wax much faster than when supplied with honey alone. 
That the full grown bees make some use of pollen in con- 
nection with honey, for their own nourishment, I believe also 
to be highly probable. 

Bees prefer to gather fresh bee-bread, even when there 
are large accumulations of old stores in the cells. Hence, 
the great importance of being able, by the control of the 
combs, to make the surplus of old colonies supply the defi- 
ciency of young ones. 

If honey and pollen can both be obtained from the same 
flower, then a load of each will be secured by the industrious 
insect. Of this, any one may be convinced, who will dis- 



POLLEN. 93 

sect a few pollen gatherers at the time when honey is 
plenty : he will generally find their honey-bags full. 

The mode of gathering is very interesting. The body of 
the bee appears, to the naked eye, to be covered with fine 
hairs : when she alights on a flower, the farina adheres to 
these. With her legs, she brushes it from her body, and 
packs it in two hollows or baskets, one on each of her thighs : 
these baskets are surrounded by stouter hairs which hold the 
load in its place. 

When the bee returns with polllen, she often makes a 
singular dancing or vibratory motion, to attract the attention 
of the other bees, who nibble away from her thighs what 
they want for immediate use ; the rest she stores away for 
future need, by inserting her body in a cell and brushing it 
off from her legs ; it is then carefully packed down, and 
often sealed over with wax. Pollen is very seldom deposited 
in any except worker cells. 

When from the dryness of the air, or any other cause, 
the pollen cannot be readily gathered in balls, the bee will 
often roll herself in the farina, and return, thus dusted over, 
to her hive. 

It has been observed that a bee, in gathering pollen, al- 
most always confines herself to the kind of flower on which 
she begins, even when that is not so abundant as some oth- 
ers ; thus a ball of this substance taken from her thigh, is 
found to be of a uniform color throughout : the load of one 
will be yellow, another red, and a third brown ; the color 
varying according to that of the plant from which the supply 
was obtained. It is probable that the pollen of different kinds 
of flowers would not pack so well together. As they carry 
on their bodies the pollen or fertilizing substance, they aid 
most powerfully in the impregnation of plants! 

He must be blind indeed, who does not see, at every step 



94 POLLEN. 

in the natural history of the honey-bee, the plainest proofs 
of the wisdom of its Creator, or who can resist the impres- 
sion that this insect was made for the especial service 
and instruction of man. At first the importance of its pro- 
ducts, when honey was almost the only natural sweet, 
attracted most powerfully his attention to its curious habits ; 
and now, since the cultivation of the sugar cane has dimin- 
ished the relative value of its luscious sweets, the more 
accurate knowledge which has been obtained of its instincts, 
is awakening an ever increasing enthusiasm in its cultivation. 

Virgil in the fourth book of his Georgics, which is entirely 
<levoted to bees, speaks of them as having received a direct 
emanation from the Divine Intelligence. And many modern 
Apiarians are disposed to rank the bee for sagacity, as almost 
next in the scale of creation to man. 

Though the importance of pollen in nourshing the brood, 
has long been known, it is only of late that any successful 
attempts have been made to furnish a substitute. The bees, 
in Dzierzon's Apiary, were observed by him, to bring rye 
meal to their hives from a neighboring mill, early in Spring, 
before they could procure any pollen from natural supplies. 
It is now a common practice on the continent of Europe, 
where bee keping is extensively carried on, to supply the 
bees early in the season, with this article. Shallow troughs 
are set in front of the Apiaries, filled about two inches deep, 
with finely ground, dry, unboiled rye meal. Thousands of 
bees, when the weather is favorable, resort eagerly to them, 
roll themselves in the meal, and return heavily laden to their 
hives. In fine, mild weather, they labor at this work with 
astonishing industry ; and seem decidedly to prefer the meal 
to the old pollen stored in their combs. By this means, the 
bees are induced to commence breeding early, and rapidly 
recruit their numbers. The feeding is continued till the 



POLLEN. 95 

bees cease to carry away the meal ; that is, until the blos- 
soms furnish a preferable article. The average consumption 
of each colony is about two pounds. 

Mr. F. Sontag, a German Apiarian, says that in the Spring 
of 1853, he fed one of his colonies with rye meal, placed in 
the hive, in an old comb, and that he continued the supply 
until they could procure fresh pollen abroad. This colony 
produced four strong swarms that Spring, while an adjoining 
stock not supplied with the meal, produced only one, and 
that was weak. 

Another German bee-keeper says he has used wheat flour 
with very good results. The bees forsook some honey which 
had been set out for them, and engaged actively in carrying 
in the flour, which was placed about twenty paces in front 
of their hives. 

The construction of my hives, permits the flour to be easily 
placed where the bees can take it, without being compelled 
to waste their time in going out for it, or sufler from the 
want of it, when the weather confines them at home. 

The discovery of this substitute, removes a serious obstacle 
to the successful culture of bees. In many districts, there is 
a great abundance of honey for a few weeks in ihe season ; 
and almost any number of colonies, which are strong when 
the honey-harvest commences, will lay up, in a good season, 
sufficient stores for thefnselves, and a large surplus for their 
owners. In many of these districts, however, the supply of 
pollen is often so insufficient, that, in Spring, the new colo- 
nies of the previous year, are found destitute of this article ; 
and unless the season is early, and the weather unusually 
favorable, the production of brood is most seriously checked, 
and the colony becomes strong too late to avail itself, to the 
best advantage, of the superabundant harvest of honey. 

While the honey bee is regarded by the best informed 



96 POLLEN. 

horticulturists, as one of their friends, a strong prejudice has 
been excited against it, by many fruit-growers in this coun- 
try ; and in some communities, a man who keeps bees is 
considered as bad a neighbor, as one who sends out his 
poultry to riot in the gardens of others. I have repeatedly 
heard even the warmest friends of the " busy bee," lament 
its propensity to banquet on their beautiful peaches and 
pears, and choicest grapes and plums. 

In a conversation with a very intelligent gentleman, I once 
assigned three reasons, which to me seemed perfectly con- 
clusive, that the bees could not, of themselves, inflict any 
very extensive injury upon his grapes. 1st, that as the 
Creator appeared to have intended both the honey-bee and 
fruit for the comfort of man, it was difficult to conceive how 
he could have made the one to be the natural enemy of the 
other. 2d, that as the supplies of honey from the flowers 
had entirely failed, the season (1854) being exceedingly 
dry, if the bees had been able to help themselves to his 
sound grapes, they would, from the many hives near him, 
in a few days have entirely devoured the fruit of his vines. 
3d, that the jaws of the bee being adapted only to the deli- 
cate manipulation of wax, were too feeble to enable it to 
puncture the skin of even the most delicate grapes. 

In reply to these arguments, I was invited to go to the 
grape vines, and behold the depredators in the very act. The 
result justified my anticipations. Many bees were indeed 
seen banqueting on the grapes ; but on closer observation, not 
one was found to be doing any mischief to the soimd fruit. 
The bruised grapes on the vines, those lying on the ground, 
and the moist stems from which grapes had recently been 
plucked, were covered with bees : while others which were 
observed to alight upon bunches, after finding by careful 
inspection that they were sound, left them with evident dis- 



POLLEN. 97 

appointment. Multitudes, however, of the wasp and hornet 
tribes were seen helping themselves to the very best of the 
fruit. As these insects do not secrete wax, they are fur- 
nished with powerful saw-like jaws, to enable them to cut 
off the woody fibre out of which they build their combs : 
with these they can easily puncture the skin of the toughest 
fruits. 

After the mischief is once begun by other insects, or 
wherever a speck of rot, or a crack is seen, the honey bee 
hastens to help itself, on the principle of " gathering up the 
fragments that nothing may be lost." In this way, they un- 
doubtedly do some mischief; but before war is declared 
against them, let every fruit-grower ask himself the ques- 
tion, if on the whole they are not far more useful than inju- 
rious. In genial seasons, when all the circumstances are 
favorable, the fruit will often set abundantly, even if no 
bees are kept in its vicinity : but many Springs are so cool 
and windy, that those only whose trees are all murmuring 
with the pleasant hum of bees, can expect a good crop. 

If those horticulturists who have learned to regard the bee 
as their enemy, could succeed in exterminating the whole 
race, they would act with as much wisdom, as though they 
could banish from their inhospitable premises, every insectivo- 
rous bird which ventures to help itself to a small portion of 
the abundance it has aided in producing. If in the early 
Spring, judicious efforts were made to entrap the mother 
wasps and hornets, which alone survive the Winter, an 
effectual blow would be struck at some of the worst pests of 
the orchard and garden. In Europe, those engaged exten- 
sively in the cultivation of fruit, are in the habit of paying a 
premium, in the Spring, on all the wasps and hornets de- 
stroyed in their vicinity. 
9 



98 REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 

CHAPTER VII. 

On the Advantages which ought to be found in a Good Hive. 

In this Chapter, I shall enumerate certain very desirable, 
if not necessary qualities of a good hive. Having neither 
the taste nor the time for the invidious work of disparaging 
other hives, I prefer inviting the attention of bee-keepers to 
the importance of these requisites ; some of which, I believe, 
are contained in no hive but my own. Let them be most 
carefully examined, and if found to commend themselves to 
the enlightened judgment of cultivators, they will serve to 
test the comparative merits of the various kinds of hives in 
common use. 

1. A good hive should give the Apiarian the perfect con- 
trol of all the combs ; so that any of them may be easily 
taken out, without cutting them, or enraging the bees. 

This advantage is fully possessed by no hive, except my 
own ; although it forms the very foundation of the most 
profitable system of bee culture ; for unless the combs are 
at the entire command of the Apiarian, he can have no 
effectual control over his bees, but must be almost entirely 
dependent upon all their caprices. 

2. It should permit all necessary operations to be perform- 
ed without hurting or killing a single bee. 

Most hives are so constructed that it is impossible to use 
them, without at times injuring or destroying some of the 
bees. The mere destruction of a few bees, would not, 
except on the score of humanity, be of much consequence, 
if it did not very materially increase the difficulty of mana- 
ging them. Bees remember injuries done to any of their 
number, for some time, and generally find an opportunity 
to avenge them. 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 99 

3. It should afford suitable protection against extremes of 
heat and cold, sudden changes of temperature, and the in- 
jurious effects of dampness. 

In Winter, the interior of the hive should be dry, and in 
Summer, the bees should not be forced to work to disadvan- 
tage in a pent and almost suffocating heat. 

4. It should allow everything to be done that is necessary 
in the most extensive management of bees, without incurring 
any serious risk of exciting their anger. 

5. Not a single unnecessary step or motion ought to be 
required of a single bee. 

The honey harvest, in most locations, is of short continu- 
ance ; and all the arrangements of the hive should facilitate, 
to the utmost, the work of the busy gatherers. Very tall 
hives, therefore, and all such as compel them to travel with 
their heavy burdens through densely crowded combs, are 
very objectionable. The bees in my hive, instead of forcing 
their way through thick clusters, can easily pass into the 
surplus honey boxes, not only from any comb in the hive, 
but without traveling over the combs at all. 

6. It should afford suitable facilities for inspecting, at all 
times, the condition of the bees. 

If the Apiarian wishes to make a thorough examination of 
any colony, in a few minutes, all the combs may be taken out 
and carefully inspected. In this way, its exact condition may 
always be easily ascertained, and nothing left, as in the 
common hives, to mere conjecture. This is an advantage, 
the importance of which it would be difficult to over esti- 
mate. 

7. While the hive is of a size adapted to the natural in- 
stincts of the bee, it should be capable of being readily 
adjusted to the wants of small colonies. 



100 REQUISITES OP A GOOD HIVE. 

By means of a movable partition, my hive can, in a few 
moments, be adapted to the wants of any colony however 
small, and can, with equal facility, be enlarged from time to 
time, or at once restored to its full dimensions. 

8. It should allow the combs to be removed without any 
jarring. 

Bees manifest the utmost aversion to any sudden jar, as 
such a motion loosens or detatches their combs. However 
firmly fastened the frames may be in my hive, they can all 
be loosened in a few moments, without injuring or exciting 
the bees. 

9. It should allow every good piece of comb to be given 
to the bees, instead of being melted into wax. 

10. The construction of the hive should induce the bees 
to build their combs with great regularity. 

A hive which contains a large proportion of irregular 
comb, can seldom be expected to prosper. Such comb is 
often suitable only for storing honey, or raising drones. This 
is one reason why so many colonies never flourish. 

11. It should furnish the means of procuring comb to 
induce the bees more readily to take possession of the sur- 
plus honey receptacles. 

12. It should allow the removal of drone combs from the 
hive, to prevent the breeding of too many drones. 

13. It should enable the Apiarian, in case too many drones 
have been raised, to trap and destroy them, early in the 
season. 

This is effected, in my hives, by the simple adjustment of 
the blocks which regulate the entrance. 

14. It should enable the Apiarian, when the combs become 
too old, to remove them, and supply their place with new 
ones. 

No hive can, in this respect, equal one from which, in a few 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 101 

moments, any comb can be removed, and the part which is 
too old, be cut off. The upper part of a comb, which is 
generally used for storing honey, will last without renewal 
for many years. 

15. It ought to furnish the greatest possible security 
against the ravages of the Bee-Moth. 

Neither before nor after it is occupied, ought there to be 
any cracks or crevices in the interior. All such places will 
be filled by the bees with propolis or bee-glue ; a substance, 
which, being always soft in the summer heat of the hive, 
forms a most congenial place of deposit for the eggs of the 
moth. 

16. It should furnish some place accessible to the Apia- 
rian, where the bee-moth can be tempted to deposit her eggs, 
and the worms, when full grown, to wind themselves in 
their cocoons. 

17. It should enable the Apiarian, if the bee-moth ever 
gains the upper hand of the bees, to remove the combs, and 
expell the worms. 

18. The bottom board should be permanently attached to 
the hive ; for if this is not done, it will be inconvenient to 
move the hive when bees are in it, and next to impossible to 
prevent the depredations of moths and worms. 

Sooner or later, there will be crevices between the bottom 
board and sides of the hive, through which the moths will 
gain admission, and under which the worms, when fully 
grown, will retreat to spin their webs, and to be changed 
into moths, to enter in their turn, and lay their eggs. Mova- 
ble bottom boards are a great nuisance in the Apiary, and 
the construction of my hive, which enables me entirely to 
dispense with them, will furnish a very great protection 
against the bee-moth. There is no place where they can 
get in, except at the entrance for the bees, and this may be 
9* 



102 REQUISITES or A GOOD HIVE. 

contracted or enlarged, to suit the strength of the colony ^ 
and from its peculiar shape, the bees are enabled to defend 
it against intruders, with the greatest advantage. If any 
prefer, however, to use movable bottom boards, the con- 
struction of my hive can be varied lo soit their notions. 

19. The bottom board should slant towards the entrance, 
to assist the bees in carrying out the dead, and other useless 
substances ; to aid them in defending themselves against 
robbers ; to carry off all moisture ; and to prevent the rain 
and snow from beating into the hive. 

20. The bottom board should be so constructed that it 
may easily be cleared of dead bees in cold weather, when 
the bees are unable to attend to this business themselves. 

If suffered to remain, they often become mouldy, and in- 
jure the health of the colony. If the bee& drag them out, as 
they will do, when the weather moderates, they often fall 
with them, on the snow, and are so chilled that they never 
rise again ; for a bee generally retains its hold in flying 
away with the dead, until both fall to the ground. 

2L No part of the interior of the hive should be below 
the level of the place of exit. 

If this principle is violated, the bees must, at great disad- 
vantage, drag their dead, and all the refuse of the hive, up 
hill. Such hives will often have their bottom boards cover- 
ed with small pieces of comb, bee-bread, and other impu- 
rities, in which the moth delights to lay her eggs ; and which 
furnish her progeny with a most congenial nourishment, 
until they are able to get access to the combs. 

22. It should^afford facilities lor feeding the bees both in 
warm and cold weather. 

In this respect, my hive has very unusual advantages. In 
warm weather, sixty colonies may, in less than an hour, be 
fed a quart each, and yet no feeder be used, and no risk in- 
curred from robbing bees. 



KEQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. lOB 

23. It should permit the easy hiving of a swarm, without 
injuring any of the bees, or risking the destruction o-f the 
Queen. 

24. It should admit of the safe transportation of the bees 
to any distance whatever. 

The permanent bottom board, the firm attachment of the 
combs, each to a separate frame, and the facility with which, 
in my hive, any amount of air can be given to the bees when 
shut up, most admirably adapt it to this purpose. 

25. It should furnish the bees with air, when for any pur- 
pose, the entrance must be entirely shut. 

26. A good hive should furnish facilities for enlarging, 
contracting, and closing the entrance, so as to protect the 
bees against robbers, and the bee-moth ; and when the en- 
trance is altered, the bees ought not to lose valuable time in 
searching for it, as they must do in most hives. 

27. It should give the bees the means of ventilating their 
hives, without enlarging the entrance too much, so as to ex- 
pose them to moths and robber&r 

28. It should furnish facilities for admitting at once, a 
large body of air ; so that in Winter, or early Spring, when 
the weather is at any time unusually mild, the bees may be 
tempted to fly out and discharge their feeces. 

If such a free admission of air cannot be given to hives 
which are thoroughly protected against the cold, the bees 
may lose a favorable opportunity of emptying themselves ; 
and thus be more exposed than they otherwise would, to 
suffer from diseases resulting from too long confinement. A 
very free admission of air is also desirable when the weather 
is exceedingly hot. 

29. It should enable the Apiarian to remove the excess of 
bee-bread from old stocks. 

By means of my movable frames, the excess of old cole- 



104 EEQUISITES OF A GOOD Sim. 

nies may be made to supply the deficiency of yoUng ones, 
to the mutual benefit of both. 

30. It should enable the Apiarian, when he has removed 
the combs from a common hive, to place them with the bees, 
brood, honey and bee-bread, id the improved hive, so that 
the bees may be able to attach them in their natural positions. 

31. It should permit the safe and easy dislodgement of the 
bees from the hive. 

This requisite is especially important, when it becomes 
necessary to break up some of the weak stocks, to join them 
to others. 

32. It should allow the heat and odor of the main hive 
as well as the bees themselves, to pass in the freest manner, 
to the surplus honey receptacles. 

In this respect, all the hives with which I am acquainted, 
are more or less deficient : the bees are forced to work in 
receptacles difficult of access, and in which, they find it im- 
possible, in cool nights, to keep up the animal heat neces- 
sary for comb-building. Bees cannot, in such hives, work 
to advantage in glass tumblers, or other small vessels. One 
of the most important arrangements of my hive, is that by 
which the heat ascends into all the receptacles for storing 
honey, as naturally and almost as easily as the warmest air 
ascends to the top of a heated room. 

33. It should permit the surplus honey to be taken away, 
in the most convenient, beautiful and salable forms, at any 
time, and without any risk of annoyance from the bees. 

In my hives, it may be made on frames, in tumblers, glass 
boxes, wooden boxes small or large, earthen jars, flower- 
pots, in short, in any kind of receptacle which may suit the 
fancy or convenience of the bee-keeper. Or all these may 
be dispensed with, and the honey taken from the interior of 
the main hive, by lemoving the frames with loaded combs, 
and supplying their place with empty ones^ 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 105 

34. It should admit of the easy removal of good honey 
from the main hive, that its place may be supplied by the 
bees with an inferior article. 

In districts where buckwheat is raised, the bees will rapid- 
ly fill any vacancies made by removing the choice honey 
from the hive. 

35. It should allow, when quantity not quality is the 
object, the largest amount of honey to be gathered ; so that 
the surplus of strong conlonies may, in the Fall, be given to 
those which have not a sufficient supply. 

By surmounting my hive with a box of the same dimen- 
sions, and transferring the combs to this box, the bees, when 
they commence building, will descend and fill the lov/er 
frames, gradually using the upper box, as the brood is hatch- 
ed out, for storing honey. In this way, the largest possible 
yield of honey may be secured, as bees prefer to con- 
tinue their work below, rather than above the main hive, and 
will very seldom swarm, when allowed ample and seasona- 
ble room in this direction. The combs in the upper box, 
containing a large amount of bee-bread, and being of a size 
adapted to the breeding of workers, will be all the better for 
aiding weak colonies. 

36. It should compel, when desired, the forc-e of the 
colony to be mainly directed to raising young bees; so that 
brood may be on hand to form new colonies-, and strengthen 
feeble slocks. 

37. It ought, while well protected from the weather, to be 
so constructed, that in warm, sunny days in early Spring, 
the influence of the sun may be allowed to penetrate and 
warm up the hive, so as to encourage early breeding. 

38. The hive should be equally well adapted to be used 
as a swarmer, or non-swarmer. 

In my hives, bees may be allowed, if their owner chooses^ 



106 REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 

to swarm just as they do in common hives, and be managed 
in the usual way. Even on this plan, the great protection 
against the weather which it affords, and the command over 
all the combs, will be found to afford unusual advantages. 

Non-swarming hives managed in the ordinary way are 
liable, in spite of all precautions, to swarm very unexpect- 
edly, and if not closely watched, the swarm is lost, and with 
it often the whole profit of that season. In my hives, the en- 
trance can be so regulated that the Queen cannot leave, and 
a swarm will not depart without her. 

39. It should enable the Apiarian to prevent a new swarm 
from forsaking its hive. 

This vexatious occurrence can always be prevented, by 
adjusting the entrance, for a few days, so that the Queen 
cannot leave the hive. 

40. It should enable the Apiarian, if he allows his bees to 
swarm, and wishes to secure surplus honey, to prevent them 
from throwing more than one swarm in the season. 

Second and third swarms must be returned to the old 
stock, if the largest quantities of surplus honey are to be re- 
alized. It is troublesome to watch them, deprive them of 
their Queens, and restore them to the parent hive. They 
often issue with new Queens, again and again ; and waste, 
in this way, both their own time, and that of their keeper. 
" An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." In 
my hives, all the Queen cells except one, in a colony which 
swarms, may be cut out, and thus after-swarming be easily 
and effectually prevented. When the old stock is left with 
but one Queen, she runs no risk of being killed or crippled 
in a contest with rivals. By such contests, a colony is often 
left without a Queen, or in possession of one which is too 
much maimed to be of any service. 

41. A good hive should enable the Apiarian, if he relies 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 107 

on natural swarming, and wishes to multiply his colonies as 
fast as possible, to make vigorous stocks of all his small 
after-swarms. 

Such swarms contain a young Queen, and if they can be 
judiciously strengthened, usually make the best stock hives. 
If hived in a common hive, and left to themselves, they sel- 
dom thrive, unless they issued very early, or the season was 
unusually favorable. They generally desert their hives, or 
perish in the Winter. If they are small, they cannot be 
made powerful, even by the most generous feeding. There 
are too few bees to build comb, and take care of the eggs 
which a healthy Queen can lay ; and when fed, they are 
apt to fill with honey, the cells in which young bees ought 
to be raised ; thus making the kindness of their owner serve 
only to hasten their destruction. My hives enable me to 
supply all such swarms at once with combs containing bee- 
bread, honey and brood almost mature. They are thus 
made strong, and flourish as well, nay, often better than the 
first swarms which have an old Queen, whose fertility is 
generally not so great as that of a young one. 

42. It should enable the Apiarian to multiply his colonies 
with a certainty and rapidity which are entirely out of the 
question, if he depends upon natural swarming. 

43. It should enable the Apiarian to supply destitute colo- 
nies with the means of obtaining a new Queen. 

Every Apiarian would for this reason, if for no other, find 
it to his advantage to possess, at least, one such hive. 

44. It should enable him to catch the Queen, for any pur- 
pose ; especially to remove an old one whose fertility is im- 
paired by age, that her place may be supplied with a young 
one. 

45. While a good hive is adapted to the wants of those 
who desire to enter upon bee-keeping on a large scale, or at 



108 REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 

least to manage their colonies on the most improved plans, 
it ought to be suited to the wants of those who from timidity, 
ignorance or any other reason, are indisposed to manage 
them except in the common way. 

46. It should enable a single individual to superintend the 
colonies of many different persons. 

Many would like to keep bees, if they could have them 
taken care of, by those who would undertake their manage- 
ment, just as a gardener does the gardens and grounds of 
his employers. No person can agree to do this with the 
common hives. If the bees are allowed to swarm, he may 
be called in a dozen different directions, and if any accident, 
such as the loss of a Queen, happens to the colonies of his 
customers, he can apply no remedy. If the bees are in 
non-swarming hives, he cannot multiply the stocks when this 
is desired. 

On my plan, gentlemen who desire it, may have the 
pleasure of witnessing the industry and sagacity of this won- 
derful insect, and of gratifying their palates with its delicious 
stores, harvested on their own premises, without incurring 
either trouble, or risk of annoyance. 

47. All the joints of the hive should be water tight, and 
there should be no doors or slides which are liable to shrink, 
swell, or get out of order. 

The importance of this will be sufficiently obvious to any 
one who has had the ordinary share of vexatious experience 
in the use of such fixtures. 

48. It should enable the bee-keeper entirely to dispense 
with sheds, and costly Apiaries; as each hive when proper- 
ly placed, should alike defy, heat or cold, rain or snow. 

49. It should allow the contents of a hive, bees, combs 
and all, to be taken out ; so that any necessary repairs may 
be made. 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 109 

This may be done, with my hives, in a few minutes. 
"A stitch in time saves nine." Hives which can be thor- 
oughly overhauled and repaired, from time to time, if pro- 
perly attended to, will last for generations. 

50. The hive and fixtures should present a neat and at- 
tractive appearance, and should admit, when desired, of be- 
ing made highly ornamental. 

51. The hives ought not to be liable to be blown down in 
high winds. 

In very windy situations, my hives may be made so low 
that it would require almost a hurricane to upset ihem. 

52. It should enable an Apiarian who lives in the neigh- 
borhood of human pilferers, to lock up the precious contents 
of his hives, in some cheap, simple and convenient way. 

As my bottom boards are not movable, when a hive is 
locked, up, the contents can only be reached by carrying it 
bodily away. 

53. A good hive should be protected against the destruc- 
tive ravages of mice in Winter. 

It seems almost incredible that so puny an animal should 
dare to invade a hive of bees ; and yet not unfrequently they 
slip in when the bees are compelled by the cold to retreat 
from the entrance. Having once found admission, they 
build themselves a nest in their comfortable abode, eat up 
the honey and such bees as are too much chilled to make 
any resistance ; and fill the premises with such an abomin- 
able stench, that on the arrival of warm weather, the bees 
often in a body abandon their desecrated home. As soon as 
the cold weather approaches, all my hives may have their 
entrances so contracted that a mouse cannot gain admission, 

54. A good hive should have its alighting board construct- 
ed so as to shelter the bees against wind and wet, and thus 

10 



110 REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 

facilitate to the utmost their entrance when they come home 
with their heavy burdens. 

If this precaution is neglected, much valuable time and 
many lives may be sacrificed, as the colony cannot be en- 
couraged to use to the best advantage the unpromising days 
which so often occur in the working season. 

I have succeeded in arranging my alighting board in such 
a manner that the bees are sheltered against wind and wet, 
and are able lo enter the hive with the least possible loss of 
time. 

55. It should possess all these requsites without being too 
costly for common bee-keepers, or too complicated to be 
constructed by any who can handle simple tools : and they 
should be so combined that the result is a simple hive, which 
any one can manage who has ordinary intelligence on the 
subject of bees. 

I suppose that the very natural conclusion from reading 
this long list of desirables, would be that no single hive can 
combine them all, without being exceedingly complicated 
and expensive. On the contrary, the simplicity and cheap- 
ness with which my hive secures all these results, is one of 
its most striking peculiarities, the attainment of which has 
cost me more study than all the other points besides. As 
far as the bees are concerned, they can work in this hive 
with even greater facility than in the simple old-fashioned 
box, as the frames are left rough by the saw, and thus give 
an admirable support to the bees when building their combs ; 
and they can enter the spare honey boxes, with even more 
ease than if they were merely continuations of the main hive. 

There are a few desirables to which my hive makes not 
the slightest pretensions ! It promises no splendid results to 
those who purchase it, and yet are too ignorant, or too care- 
less to be entrusted with the management of bees. In bee- 



REQUISITES OP A GOOD HIVE. Ill 

keeping, as in other things, a man must first understand his 
business, and then proceed on the good old maxim, that " the 
hand of the diligent maketh rich." 

It possesses no talismanic influence by which it can con- 
vert a bad situation for honey, into a good one ; or give the 
Apiarian an abundant harvest whether the season is produc- 
tive or otherwise. 

It cannot enable the cultivator rapidly to multiply his 
stocks, and yet in the same season, to secure surplus honey 
from his bees. As well might the breeder of poultry pretend 
that in the same year and from the same stock, he can both 
raise the greatest number of chickens, and sell the largest 
number of eggs. 

Worse than all, it cannot furnish the many advantages 
enumerated, and yet be made in as little time, or quite as 
cheap £LS a hive which proves, in the end, to be a very dear 
bargain ! 

I have not constructed my hive in accordance with crude 
theories, or mere conjectures, and then insisted that the bees 
must flourish in such a fanciful contrivance ; but I have 
studied, for many years, most carefully, the nature of the 
honey-bee ; and have diligently compared my observations 
with those of writers and practical cultivators, who have 
spent their lives in extending the sphere of Apiarian knowl- 
edge ; and as the result, have endeavored to adapt my inven- 
tion to the actual habits and wants of the bee ; and to remedy 
the many difficulties with which I have found its successful 
culture to be beset. And more than this, I have actually 
tested its merits, by experiments long continued and on a 
large scale, so that I might not deceive both myself and 
others, and add another to the many useless contrivances 
which have deluded and disgusted a too credulous public. 
I would, however, most earnestly repudiate all claims to 



112 REQUISITES OE A GOOD HIVE. 

having devised a " perfect bee hive." Perfection can belong 
only to the works of the great Creator, to whose omniscient 
eye, all causes and effects vi^ith all their relations were pres- 
ent, when he spake, and from nothing formed the Universe 
and all its stupendous wonders. For man to stamp upon any 
of his own works, the label of perfection, is to show both 
his folly and presumption. 

It must be confessed that the culture of bees is at a very 
low ebb in our country, when thousands can be induced to 
purchase hives which are in most glaring opposition not only 
to the true principles of Apiarian knowledge, but often, to 
the plainest dictates of simple common sense. Such have 
been the losses and disappointments of deluded purchasers, 
that it is no wonder that they turn from everything offered 
in the shape of a patent bee-hive, as a miserable humbug, if 
not a most barefaced cheat. 

I do not hesitate to say, that those old-fashioned bee-keep- 
ers who have most steadily refused to meddle with any 
novelties, and who have used hives of the very simplest 
construction, or at least such as are only one remove from 
the old straw hive, or wooden box, have, as a general thing, 
realized by far the largest profits in the management of bees. 
They have lost neither time, money nor bees, in the vain 
hope of obtaining any unusual results from hives, which, in 
the very nature of the case, can secure nothing really in 
advance of what can be accomplished by a simple box hive 
with an upper chamber. 

A hive of the simplest possible construction,, is only a close 
imitation of the abode of bees in a state of nature ; being a 
mere hollow receptacle in which they are protected from the 
weather, and where they can lay up their stores. 

An improved hive is one which contains, in addition, a 
separate apartment in which the bees can be induced lo lay 



REQUISITES OF A GOOD HIVE. 113 

up the surplus portion of their stores, for the use of their 
owner. All the various hives in common use, are only 
modifications of this latter hive, and, as a general rule, they 
are bad, exactly in proportion as they depart from it. Not 
one of them offers any remedy for the loss of the Queen, or 
indeed for most of the casualties to which bees are exposed : 
they form no reliable basis for any new system of manage- 
Hient ; and hence the cultivation of bees, is substantially 
where it was, fifty years ago, and the Apiarian as entirely 
dependent as ever, upon all the whims and caprices of an 
insect which, more than any of his domestic animals, may 
be made completely subject to his control. 

No hive which does not furnish a thorough control over 
every comb, can be considered as any substantial advance 
on the simple improved or chamber hive. Of all such hives, 
the one which with the least expense, gives the greatest 
amount of protection, and the readiest access to the spare 
honey boxes, is the best. 

Having thus enumerated the tests to which all hives ought 
to be subjected, and by which they should stand or fall, I 
submit them to the candid examination of practical, common 
sense bee-keepers, who having the largest experience in the 
management of bees, are most conversant with the evils of 
the present system ; and are therefore best fitted to apply 
them to an invention, which, if I may be pardoned for using 
the enthusiastic language of an experienced Apiarian on 
examining its practical workings, " introduces, not simply an 
improvement, but a complete revolution in bee-keeping.'* 
10* 



114 PROTECTIOISr. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Protection against extremes of Heat and Cold, sudden and severe 
changes of Temperature, and Dampness in the Hives. 

I specially invite a careful perusal of this chapter, as the 
subject^ though of the very first importance in the manage- 
ment of bees, is one to which but little attention has been 
given by the majority of cultivators. 

In our climate of great and sudden extremes, many colo- 
nies are annually injured or destroyed by undue exposure to 
heat or cold. In Summer, thin hives are often exposed to 
the direct heat of the sun, so that the combs melt, and the 
bees are drowned in their own sweets. Even if they escape 
utter ruin, they cannot work to advantage in the almost 
suffocating heat of their hives. 

But in those places where the Winters are long and 
severe, it is much more difficult to protect the bees from the 
cold than from the heat. Bees are not, as some suppose, in 
a dormant, or torpid condition in Winter. The wasp,hornety 
and other insects which do not, like the honey-bee, live in 
families in the Winter, lay up no stores for cold weather, 
and are so organized as to be able to endure in a torpid 
state, a very low temperature j so low that it would be cer- 
tain death to a bee, which when frozen, is as surely killed 
as a frozen man. 

As soon as the temperature of the hives falls too low for 
their comfort, the bees gather themselves into a more com- 
pact body, to preserve to the utmost, their animal heat ; and 
if the cold becomes so great that this will not suffice, they 
keep up an incessant, tremulous motion, accompanied by a 
loud bumming noise ; in other words, they take active exer- 



PROTECTION". 115 

cise in order to keep warm I If a thermometer is pushed 
up among them, it will indicate a high temperature, even 
when the external atmosphere is many degrees below zero. 
When bees are unable to maintain the necessary amount of 
animal heat, an occurrence which is very common with 
small colonies in badly protected hives, then, as a matter of 
course, they quickly perish. 

Extreme cold, when of long continuance, very frequently, 
in thin hives, destroys colonies strong both in bees and honey. 
The inside of such hives, is often filled with frost, and the 
bees, after eating all the food in the combs in which they are 
clustered, are unable to enter the frosty ones, and thus starve 
in the midst of plenty. The unskilfuU bee-keeper who finds 
an abundance of honey in the hives, cannot conjecture the 
cause of their death. 

Bees will very seldom desert the combs containing brood, 
and hence when the honey in ihem is consumed, they will 
not, in a body, transfer themselves to other combs, but choose 
rather to die upon their young. This is a calamity which 
rarely occurs, in well protected hives. 

If the cold merely destroyed feeble colonies, or strong ones 
only now and then, it would not be so formidable an enemy ;. 
but every year, it causes some of the most flourishing stocks 
to perish by starvation. The extra quantity of food which 
they are compelled to eat, in order to keep up the heat in 
their miserable hives, is often the turning point with them, 
between life and death. They starve, when with proper 
protection, they would have had food enough and to spare. 

But some one may say, " What possible difference can 
the kind of hives in which bees are kept, make in the quan- 
tity of food which they will consume ? " To this I would 
reply that we cannot move a finger, or wink even an eye-lid 
without some waste of muscle, however small ; for it is a 



116 PROTECTION. 

well-ascertained law in our animal economy, that all muscxC' 
lar exertion is attended with a corresponding waste of mus- 
cular fibre. Now this waste must be supplied by the 
consumption of food, and it would be quite as unreasonable 
to expect constant heat from a stove without fresh supplies 
of fuel, as incessant muscular activity from an insect, with- 
out a supply of food proportioned to that activity. If then 
we can contrive any plan to keep our bees in almost perfect 
quiet during the Winter, we may be certain that they will 
Deed much less food than when they are constantly excited. 

In the cold Winter of 1851-2, I kept two sw^arms in a 
perfectly dry and dark cellar, where the temperature was 
remarkably uniform, seldom varying two degrees from 50^ 
of Fahrenheit ; and found that the bees ate very little honey. 
The hives were of glass, and the bees, when examined from 
time to time, were found clustered in almost death-like 
repose. If these bees had been exposed in thin hives, in the 
open air, they would, whenever the sun shone upon them, 
or the atmosphere was unusually warm, have been roused 
to injurious activity, and the same would have been the case, 
when the cold was severe : exposed to sudden changes and 
severe cold, they would have been in almost perpetual mo- 
tion, and must have been compelled to consume a largely 
increased allowance of food. In this way, many colonies 
are annually starved to death, which if they had been better 
protected, would have survived to gladden their owner with 
an abundant harvest. This protection, as a general thing, 
cannot be given to them in a cellar, which is rarely dry 
enough to prevent the combs from moulding, and the bees 
from becoming diseased. 

Bees never, unless diseased, discharge their fasces in the 
hive ; and the want of suitable protection, by exciting undue 
activity, and compelling them to eat more freely, causes 



PKOTECTION. 117 

their bodies to be greatly distended with accumulated fseces. 
On the return of mild weather, bees in this condition being 
often too feeble to fly, crawl from their hives, and miserably 
perish. 

Insufficient protection is also exceedingly injurious, by 
causing the moisture to settle upon the cold top and sides of 
the interior of the hive, from whence it drips upon the bees. 
In this way, many of their number are chilled and destroyed, 
and often the whole colony infected with dysentery. Not 
unfrequently, large portions of the comb are covered with 
mould, and the hive rendered very offensive. 

This dampness which causes what may be called a rot 
among the bees, is one of the worst enemies with which the 
Apiarian in a cold climate, has to contend, as it weakens or 
destroys many of his best colonies. No extreme of cold 
ever experienced in latitudes where bees flourish, can destroy 
a strong colony well supplied with honey, except indirectly, 
by confining them to empty combs. They will survive our 
coldest winters, in thin hives raised on blocks to give a freer 
admission of air, or even in suspended hives, without any 
bottom-board at all. Indeed, in cold weather, a very free 
admission of air is necessary in thin hives, to prevent the 
otherwise ruinous effects of frozen moisture ; and hence th© 
common remark that bees require even more air in Winter 
than in Summer. 

When bees, in unsuitable hives, are exposed to all the 
variations of the external atmosphere, they are frequently 
tempted to fly abroad if the weather becomes unseasonably 
warm, and multitudes are lost on the snow^ at a season when 
few are bred to replenish their number, and when the loss 
is most injurious to the colony. 

From these remarks, it will be obvious to the intelligenJi 
cultivator, that protection against extremes of heat and coIdi> 



118 PROTECTION. 

is a point of the very first importance; and yet this is the 
very point, which in proportion to its importance, has been 
most overlooked. We have discarded, and very wisely, the 
straw hives of our ancestors ; but such hives, with all 
their faults, were comparatively warm in Winter, and cool 
in Summer. We have undertaken to keep bees, where the 
cold of Winter and the heat of Summer are alike intense, 
and where sudden and severe changes are often fatal to the 
brood ; and yet we blindly persist in expecting success 
under circumstances in which any marked success is well 
nigh impossible. 

That our country is eminently favorable to the production 
of honey, cannot be doubted. Many of our forests abound 
with colonies which are not only able to protect themselves 
against all their enemies, the dreaded bee-moth not excepted, 
but which often amass prodigious quantities of honey. Nor 
are such colonies found merely in new countries. They 
exist frequently in the very neighborhood of cultivators 
whose hives are weak and impoverished, and who impute 
to a decay of the honey resources of the country, the inevit- 
able consequences of their own irrational system of manage- 
ment. It will not be without profit, to consider briefly under 
what circumstances these wild colonies flourish, and how 
they are protected against sudden and extreme changes of 
temperature. 

Snugly housed in the hollow of a tree, whose thickness 
and decayed interior are such admirable materials for ex- 
cluding atmospheric changes, the bees in Winter are in a 
state of almost absolute repose. The entrance to their abode 
is generally very small in proportion to the space within ; 
and let the weather out of doors vary as it may, the inside 
temperature is very uniform. These natural hives are dry, 
because the moisture finds no cold or icy top, or sides, on 



PROTECTION. 119 

which to condense, and from which it must drip upon the 
bees, destroying their lives, or enfeebling their health, by 
filling the interior of their dwelling with mould and damp- 
ness. As they are very quiet, they eat but little, and hence 
their bodies are not distended and diseased by accumulated 
faeces. Often they do not stir from their hollows, from No- 
vember until March or April ; and yet they come forth in the 
Spring, strong in numbers, and vigorous in health. If at any 
time in the Winter season, the warmth is so great as to pene- 
trate their comfortable abodes, and to tempt them to fly, 
when they venture out, they find a balmy atmosphere in 
which they may disport with impunity. Tn the Summer, 
they are protected from the heat, not merely by the thickness 
of the hollow tree, but by the leafy shade of overarching 
branches, and the refreshing coolness of a forest home. 

The Russian and Polish bee-keepers, living in a climate 
whose winters are much more severe than our own, are 
among the largest and most successful cultivators of bees, 
many of them numbering their colonics by hundreds, and 
some even by thousands ! They have, with great practical 
sagacity, imitated as closely as possible, the conditions under 
which bees are found to flourish so admirably in a state of 
nature. We are informed by a Polish writer, that his coun- 
trymen make their hives of the best plank, and never less 
than an inch and a half in thickness. The shape is that of 
an old-fashioned churn, and the hive is covered on the out- 
side, halfway down, with twisted rope cordage, to give it 
greater protection against extremes of heat and cold. The 
hives are placed in a dry situation, directly upon the hard 
earth, which is first covered with an inch or two of clean, 
dry sand. Chips are then heaped up all around them, and 
covered with earth banked up in a sloping direction, to carry 
off* the rain. The entrance is at some distance above the 



120 PROTECTION. 

bottom, and is a triangle whose sides are only one inch long. 
In the Winter season, this entrance is contracted so that only 
one bee can pass at a time. Such a hive, with us, as it does 
not furnish the honey in convenient, beautiful and salable 
forms, would not meet the demands of our cultivators. Still, 
there are some very important lessons to be learned from it, 
by all who keep bees in regions of cold Winters, and hot 
Summers. It shows the importance which some of the 
largest Apiarians in the world, attach to protection; practi- 
cal, common sense men, whose heads have not been turned, 
as some would express it, by modern theories and fanciful 
inventions. They cultivate their bees almost in a state of 
nature, and their experience on what we would term a 
gigantic scale, ought to convince even the most incredulous, 
of the folly of pretending to keep bees, in the miserably thin 
and unprotected hives to which we have been accustomed. 
But how, it will be asked, can bees live in Winter, in a 
hive so closely shut up as the Polish hive ? They do live 
in such hives, and prosper, just as they do in hollow trees, 
with only one small entrance. It is well known that bees 
have flourished when their hives were buried in Winter, and 
under circumstances in which but a very small amount of air 
could possibly gain admission to them. Bees, when kept in a 
dry place, in properly protected hives and in a state of almost 
perfect repose, need only a small supply of air ; and the ob- 
jection that those cultivators among us, who shut up their 
colonies very closely in Winter, are almost sure to lose them, 
is of no weight ; because the majority of our hives are so 
deficient in protection, that if they are too closely shut up, 
" the breath of the bees," condensing and freezing upon the 
inside, and afterwards thawing, causes the combs to mould, 
and the bees to become diseased ; just as many substances 
mould and perish when kept in a close, damp cellar. 



PROTECTION. 121 

We are now prepared to discuss the question of protec- 
tion in its relations to the construction of hives. We have 
seen how it is furnished to the bees in the Polish hives, and 
in the decayed hollovi^s of trees. If the Apiarian chooses, 
he can imitate this plan by constructing his hives of very 
thick plank; but such hives would be clumsy, and whh us, 
expensive. Or he may much more effectually reach the 
same end, by making his hives double, so as to enclose an 
air space all around, which may be filled with charcoal, saw 
dust, or any good non-conductor, to enable the bees to pre- 
serve with the least waste, their animal heat. Hives may 
be constructed in this way, which without great expense, 
may be much better protected than if they were made of the 
thickest plank. 

The manner in which I make my hives, not only protects 
the bees against extremes of heat and cold, but it guards 
them very effectually, against the injurious and often fatal 
effects of condensed moisture. By means of my movable 
frames, the combs are prevented from being attached to the 
sides, top or bottom of the hive; they are in fact, suspended 
in the air. If now the dampness can be prevented from 
condensing any where, over the bees, so that it may not drip 
upon the combs, and if it can be easily discharged from the 
hive wherever it may collect, it cannot, under any circum- 
stances, seriously annoy them. Such are the arrangements 
in my hives, that the little moisture which forms in them, is 
deposited on the sides in preference to any other part of the 
interior ; just as it is upon the colder walls or windows, 
rather than the ceiling of a room. But as the combs are 
kept away from the sides, this moisture cannot annoy the 
bees, but must fall upon the bottom-board, from whence it 
can be easily discharged from the hive. Wherever glass is 
used in the construction of my hives, I prefer to set the 
11 



122 PROTECTION. 

panes double, with a dead air space between them ; the extra 
cost will be amply repaid by the additional protection given 
to the bees. 

There is one disadvantage to which all well protected 
hives of the ordinary construction, are exposed. In the 
Spring of the year, it is exceedingly desirable that the 
warmth of the sun should penetrate the hives, to encourage 
the bees in early breeding ; but the very arrangement which 
protects ihem from cold, often interferes with this. A bee- 
hive'isthus like a cellar, warm in Winter, and cool in Sum- 
mer ; but often unpleasantly cool in the early Spring, when 
the atmosphere out of doors is warm and delightful. In my 
hive, this difficulty is easily remedied. In the Spring, as 
soon as the bees begin to fly, on warm, sun-shiny days, ihe 
upper part of the outside case may, for a few hours, be 
removed, so that the heat of the sun can penetrate to every 
part of the hive. 

It is a serious objection to most covered Apiaries, that they 
do not permit the hives to receive the genial heat of the sun 
at a period of the year when instead of injuring the bees, it 
exerts a most powerful influence in developing their brood. 
This is one among many reasons why I have discarded them, 
and why I prefer to construct my hives in such a manner 
that they need no extra covering, but stand, in the early part 
of the season, exposed to the full influence of the sun. I 
have known strong colonies which have survived the Winter 
in thin hives, to increase rapidly and swarm early, because 
of the stimulating effect of the sun; while others, deprived 
of this influence, in dark bee houses and well protected hives, 
have sometimes disappointed the hopes of their owners. 
Enclosed Apiaries are at best but nuisances : they soon 
become lurking-places for spiders and moths ; and after all 
the expense wasted on their construction, aflbrd but little 
protection against extreme cold. 



PROTECTION. 123 

I have been thus particular on the subject of protection, in 
order to convince every bee keeper who exercises common 
sense, that thin hives ought to be given up, if either pleasure 
or profit is sought from his bees. Such hives an enlightened 
Apiarian could not be persuaded to purchase, and he would 
consider them too expensive in their waste of honey and 
bees, to be worth accepting, even as a gift. Many strong 
colonies which are lodged in badly protected hives, often 
consume in extra food, in a single hard Winter, more than 
enough to pay the difference betvi^een the first cost of a good 
hive over a bad one. In the severe Winter of 1851-2, many 
cultivators lost nearly all their stocks, and a large part of 
those which survived, were too much weakened to be able 
to swarm. And yet these same miserable hives, after 
accomplishing the work of destruction on one generation of 
bees, are reserved to perform the same office for another. 
And this some call economy ! 

I am well aware of the question which many of my read- 
ers have for some time been ready to ask me. Can you 
make one of your well protected hives as cheaply as 
we construct our common box hives ? I would remind 
such questioners, that it is hardly possible to build a well 
protected house as cheaply as a barn. 

If, however, my hives are not built of doubled materials, 
they can be made for less money than most patent hives, 
and yet afford much greater protection ; as the combs touch 
neither the top, bottom nor sides of the hive. I recommend, 
however, for all latitudes north of Philadelphia, a construc- 
tion, which although somewhat more costly at first, is yet 
much cheaper in the end. 

Such is the passion of the American people for cheapness 
in the first cost of an article, even at the evident expense of 
dearness in the end, that many, I doubt not, will continue to 



124 PROTECTION. 

lodge their bees in thin hives, in spite of their conviction of 
the folly of so doing ; just as many of our shrewdest Yan- 
kees build thin wooden houses, in the cold climate of New 
England, or plaster their stone or brick ones directly on the 
wall, when the extra cost of fuel to warm them, far exceeds 
the interest on the additional expense which would be neces- 
sary to give them the requisite protection ; to say nothing of 
the doctors' bills, and fatal diseases which can be traced 
often to the dreary barns or damp vaults which they build, 
and call houses 1^ 

In the first edition of this work, I recommended placing the 
hives over a trench, dug in the ground, from which, by 
means of ventilatois in the bottom-boards, they could obtain 
a supply of cool air in Summer and warm air in Winter, 
This trench I called a Protector. Subsequent experiments 
have, however, fully convinced me that h is not adapted to 
secure the ends proposed. In most situations it will be damp 
in Winter, while at the same time, the extra protection fur- 
nished is not sufficient to justify the expense. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Ventilation of the Hive. 

If a populous hive is examined on a warm Summer day, 
a considerable number of bees will be found standing on the 
alighting board, with their heads turned towards the entrance, 
the extremity of their bodies slightly elevated, and their 
wings in such rapid motion that they are almost as indistinct 



VENTILATION. 125 

as the spokes of a wheel, in swift rotation on its axis. A 
brisk current of air may be felt proceeding from the hive, 
and if a small piece of down be suspended by a thread, it 
will be blown out from one part of the entrance, and drawn 
in at another. What are these bees expecting to accomplish, 
that they appear so deeply absorbed in their fanning occu- 
pation, while busy numbers are constantly crowding in and 
out of the hive ? and what is the meaning of this double 
current of air ? To Huber, we owe the first satisfactory 
explanation of these curious phenomena. The bees plying 
their rapid wings in such a singular attitude, are performing 
the important business of ventilating the hive ; and this- 
double current is composed of pure air rushing in at one 
part, to supply the place of the foul air forced out at another. 
By a series of the most careful and beautiful experiments, 
Huber ascertained that the air of a crowded hive is almost, 
if not quite, as pure as the atmosphere by which it is sur- 
rounded. Now, as the entrance to such a hive, is often, 
(more especially in a state of nature,) very small, the inte- 
rior air cannot be renewed without resort to some artificial 
means. If a lamp is put into a close vessel with only one 
small orifice, it will soon exhaust all the oxygen, and go oul» 
If another small orifice is made, the same result will follow j. 
but if by some device a current of air is drawn out from one 
opening, an equal current will force its way into the other, 
and the lamp will burn until the oil is exhausted. 

It is precisely on this principle of maintaining a double 
current by artijicial means, that the bees ventilate their 
crowded habilatians. A body of active ventilators stands 
inside of the hive, as well as outside, all with their heads 
turned towards the entrance, and by the rapid fanning of 
their wings, a current of air is blown briskly out of the hive, 
and an equal current drawn in. This important office is one 
11* 



126 VENTILATION. 

which requires great physical exertion on the part of those 
to whom it is entrusted ; and if their proceedings are care- 
fully watched, it will be found that the exhausted ventilators, 
are, from time to time, relieved by fresh detachments. If 
the interior of the hive will admit of inspection, in very hot 
w^eather, large numbers of these ventilators will be found in 
regular files, in various parts of the hive, all busily engaged 
in their laborious employment. If the entrance at any time 
is contracted, a speedy accession will be made to the num- 
bers, both inside and outside ; and if it is closed entirely, 
the heat of the hive will quickly increase, the whole colony 
will commence a rapid vibration of their wings, and in a few 
moments will drop lifeless from the combs, for want of air. 

It has been proved by careful experiments, that pure air 
is necessary not only for the respiration of the mature bees, 
but that without it, neither the eggs can be hatched, nor the 
larvBS developed. A fine netting of air-vessels covers the 
eggs ; and the cells of the larvse are sealed over with a 
covering which is full of air holes. In Winter, as has been 
stated in the Chapter on Protection, bees, if kept in the dark^ 
and neither too warm nor too cold, are almost dormant, and 
seem to require but a small allowance of air ; but even 
under such circumstances, they cannot live entirely without 
air ; and if they are excited by being exposed to atmospheric 
changes, or by being disturbed, a very loud humming may 
be heard in the interior of their hives, and they need quite 
as much air as in warm weather. 

If at any time, by moving their hives, or in any other 
way, bees are greatly disturbed, it will be unsafe to confine 
them, especially in warm weather, unless a very free admis- 
sion of air is given to them, and even then, the air ought ta 
be admitted above, as well as below the mass of bees, or the 
ventilators may become clogged with dead bees, and the: 



VENTILATION. 12T 

swarm may perish. Under close confinement, the bees 
become excessively heated, and the combs are often melted 
down. When bees are confined to a close atmosphere, 
especially if dampness is added to its injurious influences, 
they are sure to become diseased ; and large numbers, if not 
the whole colony, perish from dysentery. Is it not under 
circumstances precisely similar, that cholera and dysentery 
prove most fatal to human beings ? How ofien do the filthy, 
damp and unventilated abodes of the abject poor, become 
perfect lazar-houses to their wretched inmates ? 

I examined, last Summer, the bees of a new swarm which 
had been suffocated for want of air, and found their bodies 
distended with a yellow and noisome substance, just as 
though they had perished from dysentery. A few were still 
alive, and instead of honey, their bodies were filled with 
this same disgusting fluid ; though the bees had not been 
shut up, more than two hours. 

In a medical point of view, I consider these facts as highly 
interesting ; showing as they do, under what circumstances, 
and how speedily, diseases may be produced. 

In very hot weather, if thin hives are exposed to the sun''s 
rays, the bees are excessively annoyed by the intense heat, 
and have recourse to the most powerful ventilation, not 
merely to keep the air of the hive pure, but to carry off*, as 
much as possible, its internal warmth. They often leave 
the interior of the hive, almost in a body, and in thick mas- 
ses, cluster on the outside, not simply to escape the close 
heat within, but to guard their combs against the danger of 
being dissolved. At such times they are particularly care- 
ful not to cluster on the combs containing sealed honey ; for 
as most of these combs have not been lined with the cocoons 
of the larvse, they are, for this reason, as well as on account 
of the extra amount of wax used for their covers, much 
more liable to be melted, than the breeding cells. 



128 VENTILATION. 

Apiarians have often noticed the fact, that as a general 
thing, the bees leave the honey cells almost entirely bare, a» 
soon as they have sealed them over ; but it seems to have 
escaped their observation, that in hot weather, there is often 
an absolute necessity for such a course. In cool weather, 
on the contrary, the bees may often be found clustered 
among the sealed honey-combs, because there is then na 
danger of their melting down. 

Few things in the range of their wonderful instincts, are 
so well fitted to impress the mind with their admirable 
sagacity, as the truly scientific device, by which these wise 
little insects ventilate their dwellings, I was on the point of 
saying that it was almost like human reason, when the pain- 
ful and mortifying reflection presented itself to my mind 
that in respect to ventilation, the bee is immensely in ad- 
vance of the great mass of those who consider themselves 
as rational beings. It has, to be sure, no ability to make an 
elaborate analysis of the chemical constituents of the atmos- 
phere, and to decide how large a proportion of oxygen 
is essential to the support of life, and how rapidly the process 
of breathing converts this important element into a deadly 
poison. It has not, like Liebig, been able to demonstrate that 
God has set the animal and vegetable world, the one over 
against the other ; so that the carbonic acid produced by the 
breathing of the one, furnishes the aliment of the other ; 
which, in turn, gives out its oxygen for the support of animal 
life ; and that, in this wonderful manner, God has provided 
that the atmosphere shall, through all ages, be as pure as 
when it first came from His creating hand. But shame upon 
us ! that with all our intelligence, the most of us live as 
though pure air was of little or no importance ; while the 
bee ventilates with a scientific precision and thoroughness^ 
that puts to the blush our criminal neglect. 



VENTILATION. 129 

To this it may be replied that ventilation in our case, can- 
not be had, without considerable expense. Can it be had for 
nothing, by the industrious bees ? Those busy insects, which 
are so indefatigably plying their wings, are not engaged in 
idle amusement ; nor might they, as some would-be utilita- 
rian may imagine, be better employed in gathering honey, 
or in superintending some other department in the economy 
of the hive. They are at great expense of time and labor, 
supplying the rest of the colony with pure air, so conducive 
in every way, to their health and prosperity. 

I trust that I shall be permitted to digress, for a short time, 
from bees to men, and that the remarks which I shall offer 
on the subject of ventilation in human dwellings, may make 
a deeper impression, in connection with the wise arrange- 
ments of the bee, than they would, if presented in the shape 
of a mere scientific discussion ; and that some who have 
been in the habit of considering all air, except in the par- 
ticular of temperature, as about alike, may be thoroughly 
convinced of their mistake. 

Kecent statistics prove that consumption and its kindred 
diseases are most fearfully on the increase, in the Northern, 
and more especially in the New England States ; and that 
the general mortality of Massachusetts exceeds that of almost 
any other state in the Union. In these States, the tendency 
of increasing attention to manufacturing and mechanical 
pursuits, is to compel a larger and larger proportion of the 
population to lead an in-door life, and breathe an atmos- 
phere more or less vitiated, and thus unfit for the full devel- 
opment of vigorous health. The importance of pure air can 
hardly be over-estimated ; indeed, the quality of the air we 
breathe, seems to exert an influence much more powerful, 
and hardly less direct, than the mere quality of our food. 
Those whoj by active exercise in the open air, keep ihek 



130 VENTILATION. 

lungs saturated as it were, with the pure element, can eat 
almost anything with impunity ; while those who breathe 
the sorry apology for air which is to be found in so many 
habitations, although they may live upon the most nutritious 
diet, and avoid the least excess, are incessantly troubled with 
head-ache, dyspepsia, and various mental as well as physical 
sufferings. Well may such persons, as they witness the 
healthy forms and happy faces of so many of the hardy sons 
of toil, exclaim with the old Latin poet, 

'' Oh dura messorum illia ! " 

It is with the human family very much as it is with the 
vegetable -kingdom. Take a plant or tree, and shut it out 
from the pure air and the invigorating light, and though you 
may supply it with an abundance of water, and the very soil, 
which by the strictest chemical analysis, is found to contain 
all the elements that are essential to its vigorous growth, it 
will still be a puny thing, ready to droop, if exposed to a 
summer's sun, or to be prostrated by the first visitation of a 
winter's blast. Compare, now, this wretched abortion, with 
an oak or maple which has grown upon the comparatively 
sterile mountain pasture, and whose branches, in Summer, 
are the pleasant resort of the happy songsters, while, under 
its mighty shade, the panting herds drink in a refreshing 
coolness. In Winter it laughs at the mighty storms, which 
wildly toss its giant branches in the air, and which 
serve only to exercise the limbs of the sturdy tree, whose 
roots deep intertwined among its native rocks, enable it ta 
bid defiance to anything short of a whirlwind or tornado. 

To a population, who, for more than two-thirds of the 
year, are compelled to breathe an atmosphere heated by 
artificial means, the question how can this air be made, at a 
moderate expense, to resemble, as far as possible, the purest 



VENTILATION. 131 

ether of the skies is, (alas ! that I should rather say ought to 
be,) a question of the utmost interest. When open fires 
were used, there was no lack of pure air, whatever else 
might have been deficient. A capacious chimney carried 
up through its insatiable throat, immense volumes of air, to 
be replaced by the pure element, whistling in glee, through 
every crack, crevice and keyhole. Now the house-builder 
and stove-maker with but few exceptions* seem to have 
joined hands in waging a most effectual warfare against the 
unwelcome intruder. By labor-saving machinery, they con- 
trive to make the one, the joints of his wood-work, and the 
other, those of his iron-work, tighter and tighter, and if it were 
possible for them to accomplish fully their manifest design, 
they would be able to furnish rooms almost as fatal to life as 
" the black hole of Calcutta." But in spite of all that they 
can do, the materials \v\\\ shrink, and no fuel has yet been 
found, which will burn without any air, so that sufficient 
ventilation is kept up, to prevent such deadly occurrences. 
Still they are tolerably successful in keeping out the un- 
friendly element ; and by the use of huge cooking-stoves 
with towering ovens, and other salamander contrivances, the 
little air that can find its way in, is almost as thoroughly 
cooked, as are the various delicacies destined for the table. 

On reading an account of a run-away slave, who was for 
a considerable time, closely boxed up, a gentleman remarked 
that if the poor fellow had only known that a renewal of the 
air was necessary to the support of life, he could not have 
lived there an hour without suffocation ; I have frequently 
thought that if the occupants of the rooms I have been de- 

* The beautiful open or Franklin, stoves^ manufactured by Messrs. 
Jagger, Treadwell &c Perry, of Albany, deserve the highest commen- 
dation : they economize fuel as well as life and health. 



132 VENTILATION. 

scribing, could only know as much, they would be in almost 
similar danger. 

Bad air, one would think, is bad enough : but when it is 
heated and dried to an excessive degree, all its original 
vileness is stimulated to greater activity, and thus made 
doubly injurious by this new element of evil. Not only our 
private houses, but our churches and school-rooms, our rail- 
road cars, and all our places of public assemblage, are, to a 
most lamentable degree, either unprovided with any means 
of ventilation, or, to a great extent, supplied with those which 
are so deficient that they 

" Keep the word of promise to our ear, 
And break it to our hope." 

That ultimate degeneracy must surely follow such entire 
disregard of the laws of health, cannot be doubted ; and 
those who imagine that the physical stamina of a people can 
be undermined, and yet that their intellectual, moral and 
religious health will suffer no eclipse or decay, know very 
little of the intimate connection between body and mind, 
which the Creator has seen fit to establish. 

The men may, to a certain extent, resist the injurious in- 
fluences of foul air ; as their employments usually compel 
them to live much more out of doors : but alas, alas ! for 
the poor women ! In the very land where women are treated 
with more universal deference and respect than in any other, 
and where they so well deserve it, there often, no provision 
is made to furnish them with that great element of health, 
cheerfulness and beauty, heaven's pure, fresh air. 

In Southern climes, where doors and windows may be 
safely kept open for a large part of the year, pure air is 
cheap enough, and can be obtained without any special 
effort: but in Northern latitudes, where heated air must be 



VENTILATION. 133 

used for nearly three-quarters of the year, the neglect of 
ventilation is fast causing the health and beauty of our 
women to disappear. The pallid cheek, or the hectic flush, 
the angular form and distorted spine, the debilitated appear- 
ance of a large portion of our females, which to. a stranger, 
would seem to indicate that they were just recovering from a 
long illness, all these indications of the lamentable absence 
of physical health, to say nothing of the anxious, care-worn 
faces and premature wrinkles, proclaim in sorrowful voices, 
our violation of God's physical laws, and the dreadful pen- 
alty with which He visits our transgressions. 

Our people must, and I have no doubt that eventually they 
will be most thoroughly aroused to the necessity of a vital 
reform on this important subject. Open stoves, and cheerful 
grates and fire-places will again be in vogue with the mass 
of the people, unless some better mode of warming shall be 
devised, which, at less expense, shall make still more ample 
provision for the constant introduction of fresh air. Houses 
w^ill be constructed, which, although more expensive in the 
first cost, will be far cheaper in the end, and by requiring a 
much smaller quantity of fuel to warm the air, will enable 
us to enjoy the luxury of breathing air which may be duly 
tempered, and yet be pure and invigorating. Air-tight and 
all other lung-tight stoves will be exploded, as economizing 
in fuel only when they allow the smallest possible change of 
air, and thus squandering health and endangering life. 

The laws very wisely forbid the erection of wooden build- 
ings in large cities, and in various ways prescribe such regu- 
lations for the construction of edifices as are deemed to be 
essential to the public welfare ; and the time cannot, I trust, 
be very far distant, when at least all public buildings erected 
for the accommodation of large numbers, will be required by 
law, to furnish a supply of fresh air, in some reasonable 
12 



134 VENTILATION. 

det^ree adequate to the necessities of those who are to occupy 
them. 

The man who shall succeed in convincing the mass of the 
people, of the truth of the views thus imperfectly presented, 
and whose inventive mind shall devise a cheap and effica- 
cious way of furnishing a copious supply of pure air for our 
dwellings and public buildings, our steamboats and railroad 
cars, will be even more of a benefactor than a Jenner, or a 
Watt, a Fulton, or a Morse * 

To reiurn from this lengthy and yet I trust not unprofitable 
digression. 

In the ventilation of my hive, I have endeavored, as far as 
possible, to meet all the necessities of the bees, under the 
varying circumstances to which they are exposed, in our 
uncertain climate, whose severe extremes of temperature 
impress most forcibly upon the bee-keeper, the maxim of the 
Mantuan Bard, 

" Utraque vis pariter apibus metuenda." 

* An able article on the subject of ventilation, may be found in the 
Nov. number of the Horticulturist, for 1850, from the pen of the lament- 
ed Downing. It seems to have been written shortly after his return 
from Europe, and when he must have been most deeply impressed by the 
woful contrast, in point of physical health between the women of 
America and Europe. "While he speaks in just and therefore glowing 
terms of the virtues of our countrywomen, he says : " But in the 
signs of physical health and all that constitutes the outward aspect of 
the men and women of the United States, our countrymen and espe- 
cially countrywomen, compare most unfavorably with all but the 
absolutely starving classes on the other side of the Atlantic." Close 
stoves he has most appropriately styled "little demons," and impure 
air " the favorite poison of America." His article concludes as fol^ 
lows : 

" Pale countrymen and countrywomen, rouse yourselves! Consider 
that God has given us an atmosphere of pure health-giving air forty- 
five miles high, and ventilate your houses.''^ 



VENTILATION. 135 

" Extremes of heat or cold, alike are hurtful to the bees." 
In order to make artificial ventilation of any use to the great 
majority of bee-keepers, it must be simple, and not as in 
Nutt's hive, and many other labored contrivances, so com- 
plicated as to require almost as constant supervision as a 
hot-bed or a green-house. 

In the Chapter on the Requisites of a good hive, I have 
spoken of the importance of furnishing ventilation, indepen- 
dently of the entrance. By such an arrangement, I am able 
to improve upon the method which the bees are compelled 
to adopt in a state of nature. As they have no means of 
admitting air, and at the same time, of effectually excluding 
all intruders, they are obliged in very hot v^eather, and in a 
very crowded state of their dwellings, to employ a larger 
force in the laborious business of ventilation, than would 
otherwise be necessary. By the use of my blocks, I can 
keep the entrance so small, that only a single bee can go in 
at once, or I can, if circumstances require, entirely close it, 
and yet the bees need not suffer for the want of air. In all 
ordinary cases, the ventilators will admit a sufficient supply, 
and the bees can, at any time, easily increase their efficiency 
by their own direct agency, while yet they will, at no time, 
admit so strong a current of chilly air, as to endanger the 
life of the brood. 

As respects ventilation from above, as well as from below, 
so as to allow a free current of air to pass through the hive, 
I am decidedly opposed to it, in cool and windy weather, 
when such a current often compels the bees to retire from 
the brood, which are thus destroyed by a fatal chill. In thin 
hives, ventilation from above may be desirable in Winter, to 
carry off the superfluous moisture, but in properly construct- 
ed hives, there is, as has already been remarked, little or no 
dampness to be carried off. The construction of my hives 



136 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

will allow, if at all desirable, of ventilation from above ; 
and I always make use of it, when the bees are to be shut 
up for any length of time, in order to be moved ; as in this 
case, there is risk that ventilation from below may be clogged 
by dead bees, and the colony suffocated. As the entrance 
of the hive, may in a moment, be enlarged to any desirable 
extent, without in the least perplexing the bees, any quantity 
of air may be admitted, which the necessities of the bees, 
under any possible circumstances, may require. It may be 
made full eighteen inches in length, but as a general rule, in 
Summer, in a large colony, it need not exceed six inches ; 
while during the rest of the year, two or three inches will 
suffice. 



CHAPTER X. 

Natural Swarming, and Hiving of Swarms. 

The swarming of bees has been justly regarded as one 
of the most beautiful sights in the whole compass of rural 
economy. Although, for reasons which will hereafter be 
assigned, I prefer to rely chiefly on artificial means for the 
multiplication of colonies, I should be very unwilling to pass 
a season without participating, to some extent, in the pleas- 
ing excitement of natural swarming. 

" Up mounts the chief, and to the cheated eye 
Ten thousand shuttles dart along the sky ; 
As swift through aether rise the rushing swarms. 
Gay dancing to the beam their sun-bright forms ; 
And each thin form, still ling'ring on the sight, 
Trails, as it shoots, a line of silver light. 
High pois'd on buoyant wing, the thoughtful queen, 
In gaze attentive, views the varied scene, 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 137 

And soon her far-fetch'd ken discerns below 
The light laburnum lift her polish'd brow, 
Wave her green leafy ringlets o'er the glade, 
And seem to beckon to her friendly shade. 
Swift as the falcon's sweep, the monarch bends 
Her flight abrupt ; the following host descends. 
Round the fine ivvig, like cluster'd grapes, they close 
In thickening wreaths, and court a short repose." 

Evans. 

The swarming of bees, by making provision for the con- 
stant multiplication of colonies, was undoubtedly intended 
both to guard the insect against the possibility of extinction, 
and to make its labors in the highest degree useful to man. 
The laws of reproduction in those insects which do not live 
in regular colonies, are such as to secure an ample increase 
of numbers. The same is true in the case of hornets, wasps 
and humble bees which live in colonies only during the warm 
weather. In the Fall of the year, all the males perish, 
while the impregnated females retreat into winter quarters 
and remain dormant, until the warm weather restores them 
to activity, and each one becomes the mother of a new 
family. 

The honey bee differs from all these insects, in being 
compelled, by the laws of its physical organization, to live 
in communities, during the entire year. The balmy breezes 
of Spring will quickly thaw out the frozen veins of a torpid 
wasp ; but the bee is incapable of enduring even a moderate 
degree of cold : a temperature as low as 50° speedily chills 
it, and it would be quite as easy to recall to life the stiffened 
corpses in the charnel houses of the Convent of the Great 
St. Bernard, as to restore to animation, a frozen bee. In 
cool weather, they must therefore associate in large num- 
bers, in order to maintain the beat necessary to their preser- 
vation ; and the formation of new colonies, after the manner 
of wasps and hornets, is clearly impossible. If the young 
12* 



138 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

Queens left the parent stock in Summer, and were able, like 
the mother-wasps, to lay the foundations of a new colony, 
they could not maintain the warmth requisite for the devel- 
opment of their young, even if they were able, without any 
baskets on their thighs, to gather bee-bread for their support. 
If all these difficulties were surmounted, they would still be 
unable to amass any treasures for our use, or even to lay up 
the stores requisite for their own preservation. 

How admirably are all these difficulties obviated by the 
present arrangement ! Their domicile is well supplied with 
all the materials for the rearing of brood, and long before 
any of the insects which depend upon the heat of the sun, 
are able to commence breeding, the bees have added thou- 
sands in the full vigor of youth to their already numerous 
population. They are thus able to send off in season, colo- 
nies sufficiently powerful to take advantage of the honey- 
harvest, and provision the new hive against the approach of 
Winter. From these considerations, it is very evident that 
swarming, so far from being, as some Apiarians have con- 
sidered it, a forced or unnatural event, is one, which in a 
state of nature, could not possibly be dispensed w^ith. 

Let us now inquire under what circumstances it ordinarily 
takes place. 

The time when swarms may be expected, depends of 
course, upon climate, season, and the strength of the stocks. 
In the Northern and Middle States, they seldom swarm 
before the latter part of May ; and June may be considered 
as the great swarming month. The importance of having 
powerful swarms early in the season, will be discussed m 
another place. 

In the Spring, as soon as a hive well filled* with comb 

* As a general rule, bees, in our Northern and Middle States, 
seldom svs^arm unleys the hive is filled with comb; in Southern lati- 



I 



SWARMING AND HIVIN€f. 139 

and bees, becomes too much crowded to accommodate its 
teeming population, the bees begin the necessary prepara- 
tions for emigration. A number of royal cells are com- 
menced about the time that the drones make their appear- 
ance ; and by the time the young Queens arrive at maturity, 
drones are usually found in great abundance. The first 
swarm is invariably led off by the old Queen, unless she has 
previously died from accident or disease, in which case, it is 
accompanied by one of the young Queens reared to supply 
her loss. The old mother leaves soon after the royal cells 
are sealed over, unless delayed by unfavorable weather. 
There are no signs from which the Apiarian can, with cer- 
tainty, predict the issue of a first swarm. I devoted annu- 
ally, much attention to this point, vainly hoping to discover 
some infallible indications of first swarming ; until taught 
by further reflection that, from the very nature of the case, 
there can be no such indications. The bees, from an unfa- 
vorable state of the weather, or the failure of the blossoms 
to yield an abundant supply of honey, often change their 
minds, and refuse to swarm, even after all their preparations 
have been completed. Nay more, they sometimes send out 
no new colonies that season, when a sudden change of 
weather has interrupted them on the very day when they 
were intending to emigrate, and after they had taken a full 
supply of honey for their journey. 

If on a fair, warm day in the swarming season, but few 
bees leave a strong hive, while other colonies are busily at 
work, we may, unless the weather suddenly prove unfavor- 
able, look with great confidence for a swarm. As the old 
Queens, which accompany the first swarm, are heavy with 

tudes, however, the swarming instinct seems to be much more power- 
ful. In Matamoras and Brownsville, on the Eio Grande, I saw many- 
colonies issue from hives only partially filled with comb. 



140 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

eggs, and fly with considerable difficulty, they are shy of 
venturing out, except on fair, still days. If the weather is 
very sultry, a swarm will sometimes issue as early as seven 
o'clock in the morning ; but from 10 to 2, is the usual time, 
and the majority of swarms come off from 11 to 1. Occa- 
sionally, a swarm will venture out as late as 5 P. M. An 
old Queen is seldom guilty of such a piece of indiscretion. 

I have in repeated instances witnessed the whole process 
of swarming, in my observing hives. On the day fixed for 
their departure, the Queen appears lo be very restless, and 
instead of depositing her eggs in the cells, she travels over 
the combs, and communicates her agitation to the whole 
colony. The emigrating bees fill themselves with honey, 
some time before their departure : in one instance, I noticed 
them laying in their supplies, more than two hours before 
they left. A short time before the swarm rises, a few bees 
may generally be seen, sporting in the air, with their heads 
turned always to the hive^ occasionally flying in and out, as 
though impatient for the important event to take place. At 
length, a very violent agitation commences in the hive : the 
bees appear almost frantic, whirling around in a circle, which 
continually enlarges, like the circles made by a stone thrown 
into still water, until at last the whole hive is in a state of the 
greatest ferment, and the bees rush impetuously to the 
entrance, and pour forth in one steady s-tream. Not a bee 
looks behind, but each one pushes straight ahead, as though 
flying " for dear life," or urged on by some invisible power, 
in its headlong career. The Queen often does not come 
out, until a large number have left, and is frequently so 
heavy, from the large number of eggs in her ovaries, that 
she falls to the ground, incapable of rising with the colony 
into the air. 

The bees are very soon aware of her absence, and a most 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 141 

interesting scene may now be witnessed. A diligent search 
is immediately made for their missing mother; the swarm 
scatters in all directions, and 1 have frequently seen the 
leaves of the adjoining trees and bushes, almost as thickly 
covered with the anxious explorers, as they are with drops 
of rain after a copious shower. If she cannot be found, they 
return to the old hive, though occasionally they attempt to 
enter some other hive, or join themselves to another swarm 
if any is still unhived. 

The ringing of bells, and beating of kettles and frying- 
pans, is one of the good old ways more honored by the 
breach than the observance ; it may answer a very good 
purpose in amusing the children, but I believe that as far as 
the bees are concerned, it is all time thrown away; and 
that it is not a whit more efRcatious than the custom prac- 
ticed by some savage tribes, who, when the sun is eclipsed, 
imagining that it has been swallowed by an enormous dra- 
gon, resort to the most frightful noises, to compel his snake- 
ship to disgorge their favorite luminary. If a swarm has 
selected a new home previous to their departure, no amount 
of noise will ever compel them to alight, but as soon as all 
the bees which compose the emigrating colony have left the 
hive, they fly in a direct course, or " bee-line," to the chosen 
spot. I have noticed that when bees are much neglected 
by those who pretend to take care of them, such unceremo- 
nious leave-taking is quite common ; on the contrary, when 
proper attention is bestowed upon them, it seldom occurs. 

It can seldom if ever occur to those who manage their 
bees according to my system ; as I shall show in the Chap- 
ter on Artificial Swarming. If the Apiarian perceives that 
his swarm instead of clustering begins to rise higher and 
higher in the air, and evidently means to depart, not a mo- 
ment is to be lost: instead of empty aoises, he must resort 



142 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

to means much more effective to stay their vagrant propen- 
sities. Handfulls of dirt cast into the air, or water thrown 
among ihem, will often so disorganize them as to compel 
them to alight. Of all devices for stopping them, the most 
original one that I have ever heard of, is to flash the sun's 
rays among them, by the use of a looking glass ! I have 
never had occasion to try it, but the anonymous writer who 
recommends it, says that he never knew it to fail. If they 
are forcibly prevented from eloping, then special care must 
be taken or they will be almost sure, soon after hiving, to 
leave for their selected home. The Queen should be caught 
and confined for several days in a way which will be sub- 
sequently described. The same caution must be exercised, 
when new swarms abandon their hive. If the Queen can- 
not be caught, and there is reason to dread desertion, the 
bees may be carried into the cellar, and confined in total 
darkness, until towards sun-set of the third day after they 
swarmed, being supplied in the mean time with water and 
honey to build their combs. 

By the use of my hives it is always very easy to prevent 
a colony from abandoning its new home ; as the entrance 
may be so regulated by the beveled edge of the blocks which 
control it, that while a loaded worker can just pass, the 
Queen will be unable to leave. If a piece of comb contain- 
ing unsealed worker brood is put into the new hive, a swarm 
will scarcely ever forsake it. 

It may generally be ascertained soon after hiving a swarm, 
whether it intends to remain or not. If, on applying the 
ear against the side of the hive, a sound as of gnawing or 
rubbing, be heard, the bees are preparing to commence 
comb building, and will usually remain. 

If a colony decides to go, they look upon the hive in 
which they are put, as only a temporary stopping place, and 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 143 

seldom trouble themselves to build any comb in it. If the 
hive is so constructed as to permit inspection, I can tell by 
a glance whether bees are disgusted with their new resi- 
dence, and mean before long to forsake it. They not only 
refuse to work with that energy so characteristic of a new 
swarm, but they have a peculiar look which to the expe- 
rienced eye at once proclaims the fact that they are most 
unwilling tenanis. Their very attitude, hanging as they do 
with a sort of dogged or supercilious air, as though they 
hated even so much as to touch their detested abode, is 
equivalent to an open proclamation that they mean to be off. 
My numerous experiments in attempting from the moment 
of hiving, to make the bees work in observing hives exposed 
to the full light of day, instead of keeping them as I nov/ do, 
in darkness for several days, have made me quite familiar 
with all their graceless, do-nothing proceedings before their 
departure. 

Bees sometimes abandon their hives very early in the 
Spring, or late in the Summer or Fall. They exhibit all the 
appearance of natural swarming ; but they leave, not be- 
cause the population is crowded, but because it is either so 
small, or the hive so destitute of supplies, that they are 
discouraged, or driven to desperation. I once knew a colony 
to leave the hive under such circumstances, on a spring-like 
day in December! They seem to have a presentiment that 
they must perish if they stay, and instead of awaiting the sure 
approach of famine, they sally out to see if something cannot 
be done to better their condition. 

At first sight, it seems strange that so provident an insect 
should not always select a suitable domicile before venturing 
on so important a step as to abandon the old home. Often 
before they are safely housed again, they are exposed to 
powerful winds and drenching rains, which beat down and 
destroy many of their number. 



144 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

I solve this problem in the economy of the bee, in the 
same manner that I have solved so many others, by con- 
sidering in what way, this arrangement conduces to the ad- 
vantage of man. 

The honey-bee would have been of comparatively little 
service to him, if instead of tarrying until he had sufficient 
time to establish them in a hive in which to labor for him, 
their instinct impelled them to decamp, without any delay, 
from the restraints of domestication. In this, as in many 
other things, we see that what on a superficial view, appear- 
ed to be a very obvious imperfection, proves, on closer ex- 
amination, to be a special contrivance to answer important 
ends. 

To return to our new swarm. The Queen sometimes 
alights first, and sometimes joins the cluster after it has 
commenced forming. It is not usual for the bees to clus- 
ter, unless the Queen is with them ; and when they do, and 
"yet afterwards disperse, it is frequently the case that the 
Queen, after first rising with them, has been lost by falling 
into some spot where she is unnoticed by the bees. In two 
instances, I performed the following interesting experiment. 

Perceiving a hive in the very act of swarming, I contract- 
ed the entrance so as to secure the Queen when she made 
her appearance. In each case, at least one-third of the bees 
came out, before the Queen presented herself to join them. 
When I perceived that the swarm had given up their search 
for her, and were beginning to return to the parent hive, I 
placed her, with her wings clipped, on the limb of a small 
evergreen tree : she crawled to the very top of the limb, as 
if for the express purpose of making herself as conspicuous 
as possible. A few bees noticed her, and instead of alight- 
ing, darted rapidly away; in a few seconds, the whole 
colony were apprised of her presence, flew in a dense cloud 



SWARMING AND HIVINO. 145 

to the spot, and commenced quietly clustering around her. I 
have often noticed the surprising rapidity with which swarms 
communicate with each other, while on the wing. Tele- 
graphic signals are hardly more instantaneous. 

That bees send out scouts to seek a suitable abode, can 
admit of no serious question. Swarms have been traced to 
their new home, either in their flight directly from their hive, 
or from the place where they have clustered ; and it is evi- 
dent, that in such instances, they have pursued the most 
direct course. Now this precision of flight to" such a 
" terra incognita,'''' as an unknown home, would plainly be 
impossible, if some of their number had not previously se- 
lected the spot, so as to be competent to act as guides to the 
rest. The sight of bees for distant objects, is wonderfully 
acute, and after rising to a sufficient elevation, they can see 
the prominent objects in the vicinity of their intended abode, 
even allhough they may be several miles distant. Whether 
the bees send out their scouts before or fl/^er swarming, may 
admit of more question. In cases where the colony flies 
without alighting, to its new home, they are unquestionably 
dispatched before swarming. If this were their usual course, 
then we should naturally expect all the colonies to take the 
same speedy departure. Or if, for the convenience of the 
Queen or any other members of the colony, over fatigued by 
the excitement of swarming, or for any other reason, they 
should see fit to cluster, then we should expect that only a 
transient tarrying would be allowed. Instead of this, they 
often remain until the next day, and instances of a more pro- 
tracted delay are not unfrequent. The cases which occur, 
of bees stopping in their flight, and clustering again on any 
convenient object, are not inconsistent with this view of the 
subject; for if the weather is hot, and the sun shines directly 
wpon them, they will often leave before they have found a 
13 



146 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

suitable habitation ; and even when ihey are on the way to 
their new home, the Queen being heavy with eggs, and un- 
accustomed to fly, is sometimes from weariness, compelled to 
alight, and her colony clusters around her. Queens, under 
such circumstances, sometimes seem unwilling to entrust 
themselves again to their wings, and the poor bees attempt 
to lay the foundations of their colony, on fence-rails, hay- 
stacks, or other most unsuitable places. 

I have been informed by Mr. Henry M. Zollickoffer of 
Philadelphia, a very intelligent and reliable observer, that he 
knew a swarm to settle on a willow tree in that city, in a lot 
owned by the Pennsylvania Hospital ; it remained there for 
some time, and the boys pelted it with stones, to get posses- 
sion of its comb and honey. 

Mr. Wagner says, that he once knew a swarm of bees to 
lodge under the lowermost limb of an isolated oak tree, in a 
corn field. It was not discovered until the corn was har- 
vested, in September. Those who found it, mistook it for a 
recent swarm, and in brushing it down to hive it, broke away 
three pieces of comb, each about eight inches square I 

The absolute necessity for scouts or explorers, is evident 
from all the facts in the case, unless we admit that bees have 
the faculty of flying in an air-line to a hollow tree, or some 
suitable abode which they have never seen, though they 
cannot find their hive, if, in their absence, it is moved only a 
few rods from its former position. 

These obvious considerations are abundantly confirmed, 
by the repeated instances in which a few bees have been 
noticed, prying very inquisitively into a hole in a hollow tree 
or the cornice of a building, and have been followed before 
long, by a whole colony. The importance of these remarks 
will be more obvious, when I come to discuss the proper 
mode of hiving bees. 



SWARMING AND HI7ING. 147 

Having described the common method of procedure pursued 
by the new swarm, when left to their natural instincts, it is 
time to return to the parent stock from which they emigrated. 

In witnessing the immense number which have abandoned 
it, we might naturally suppose that it must be almost entirely 
depopulated. It is sometimes asserted that as bees swarm 
in the pleasantest part of the day, the population is replen- 
ished by the return of large numbers of workers that were 
absent in the fields ; this, however, can seldom be the case, 
as it is rare for many bees to be absent from the hive at the 
time of swarming. 

To those who limit the fertility of the Queen to two hun- 
dred, or at most to four hundred eggs per day, the rapid 
replenishing of the hive after swarming, must ever be a 
problem incapable of solution ; but to those who have ocular 
demonstration that she can lay from one to three thousand 
eggs a day, it is no mystery at all. A sufficient number of 
bees to carry on the domestic operations of the hive, is 
always left behind ; and as the old Queen departs only when 
the population of the hive is super-abundant, and when 
thousands of young bees are hatching daily, and often thirty 
thousand or more, are rapidly maturing, in a short time the 
hive is almost as populous as it was before swarming. Those 
who assert that the new colony is composed of young bees 
which have been forced to emigrate by the older ones, have 
certainly failed to use their eyes to much advantage, or they 
would have seen, in hiving a new swarm, that it is composed 
of both young and old ; some, having wings ragged from 
hard work, while others are evidently quite young. After 
the tumult of swarming is entirely over, not a bee that did 
not participate in it, seeks afterwards to join the new colony, 
and not one that did, seeks to return. What determines 
some to go, and others to stay, we have no certain means of 
knowing. 



148 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

How wonderfully abiding the impression made upon an 
insect, which in a moment causes it to lose all its strong affec- 
tion for the old home in which it was bred, and which it has 
entered, perhaps hundreds of times ; so that when estab- 
lished in another hive, though only a few feet distant, it sel- 
dom pays the slightest attention to its former abode ! Often, 
when the hive into which the new swarm is put, is not 
removed from the place where the bees were hived, until 
some have gone to the fields, on their return, they fly for 
hours, in ceaseless circles about the spot where the missing 
hive stood. I have known them to continue the vain search 
for their companions until they have, at length, dropped down 
from utter exhaustion, and perished inclose proximity to their 
old homes ! 

It has been already stated that the old Queen, if the 
weather is favorable, generally leaves about the time that 
the young Queens are sealed over, to be changed into 
nymphs. In about a week, one of these Queens hatches, 
and the question must now be decided whether any more 
colonies are to be sent out that season, or not. If the hive 
is well filled with bees, and the season in all respects prom- 
ising, this question is generally decided in the affirmative ; 
although colonies often refuse to swarm more than once, 
when they are very strong, and when we can assign no rea- 
son for such a course ; and they sometimes swarm repeated- 
ly, to the utter ruin of both the old stock, and the after- 
swarms. 

If the bees decide not to swarm again, the first hatched 
Queen is allowed to have her own way. She rushes imme- 
diately to the cells of her sisters, and stings them to death. 
From some observations that I have made, I am inclined to 
think that the other bees aid her in this murderous trans- 
action : they certainly tear open the cradles of the slaugh- 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 149 

terecl innocents, and remove them from the cells. Their 
dead bodies may oflen be found on the ground in front of the 
hive. 

When a Queen has emerged in the natural way from her 
cell, the bees usually nibble away the now useless abode, 
until only a small acorn cup remains ; but when by violence 
she has met with an untimely end, they take down entirely 
the whole of the cell. By counting these acorn-cups, it can 
be ascertained how many young Queens have hatched in a 
hive. 

Before the Queens emerge from their cells, a fluttering 
sound is frequently heard, wliich is caused by the rapid 
motion of their wings, and which must not be confounded 
with the piping notes which will soon be described. If the 
bees of the parent stock decide to swarm again, the first 
hatched Queen is prevented from killing the others. A 
strong guard is kept over their cells, and as often as she 
approaches them with murderous intent, she is bitten, or 
otherwise rudely treated, and given to understand by the 
most uncourlier-like demonstrations, that she cannot, in all 
things, do just as she pleases. 

When thus repulsed, like men and women who cannot 
have their own way, she is highly offended and utters an 
angry sound, given forth in a quick succession of notes, and 
which sounds not unlike the rapid utterance of the words, 
" peep, peep." I have frequently, by holding a Queen in 
the closed hand, caused her to make a similar noise. To 
this angry note, one or more of the Queens still unhatched, 
will respond, in a somewhat hoarser key, just as chicken- 
cocks, by crowing, bid defiance to each other. These 
sounds are entirely unlike the usual steady hum of the bees, 
and when heard, are the almost infallible indications that a 
second swarm will soon issue. They are occasionally so 
13* 






150 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

loud that they may be heard at some distance from the hive. 
About a week after first swarming, the Apiarian should, 
early in the morning or at evening, when the bees are still, 
place his ear against the hive, and he will, if the Queens are 
piping, readily recognize their peculiar sounds. If their 
notes are not heard, at the very latest, sixteen days after the 
departure of the first swarm, by which lime the young 
Queens are mature, even if the first colony left as soon as 
the construction of royal cells was commenced, it is an infal- 
lible indication that the first hatched Queen is without rivals 
in the hive, and that swarming, in that slock, is over for the 
season. 

The second swarm usually issues on the second or third 
day after this sound is heard : although I have known them 
to delay coming out, until the fifth day, in consequence of a 
very unfavorable state of the weather. Occasionally, the 
weather is so unfavorable, that the bees permit the oldest 
Queen to kill the others, and refuse to swarm again. This 
is a rare occurrence, as the young Queens, unlike the old 
ones, do not appear to be very particular about the weather, 
and sometimes venture out, not merely when it is cloudy, 
but even wdien rain is falling. On this account, if a very 
close watch is not kept, they are often lost. As piping ordi- 
narily commences about a week after first swarming, the 
second swarm generally issues nine days after the first. It 
has been known to issue as early as the third day after the 
first, and as late as the seventeenth. Such cases, however, 
are of rare occurrence. 

It frequently happens in the agitation of swarming, that 
several of the young Queens emerge from their cells at the 
same lime, and accompany the colony : when this is the 
case, the bees often alight in two or more sepai^ale clus- 
ters. 



SWARMING AND HIYING?. 151 

The following remarkable instance came under my obser- 
vation, in 1854. A second swarm deserted its abode the 
second day after being hived, and lit upon a tree. Before 
securing theoi, I first examined the abandoned hive, and 
found five young Queens lying dead on the bottom-board. 
The bees were then returned to the hive, and the next morn- 
ing, two more dead Queens were found, making seven in 
all. As the colony afterwards prospered, eight Queens, at 
least, must have left the parent slock, in the same season ! 

Young Queens not having their ovaries burdened with 
eggs, are much more quick on the wing, than old ones, and 
fly frequently much farther from the parent stock, before 
they alight; though I never knew a second swarm to depart 
to the woods without clustering at all. After the departure 
of a second swarm, the oldest of the remaining Queens 
leaves her cell ; and if another swarm is to be sent forth, 
piping will still be heard, and so before the issue of each 
swarm after the first. Piping will sometimes be heard for a 
short time after the issue of the second swarm, even in cases 
where the bees do not intend to swarm again. I once had five 
slocks issue from one swarm, and they all came out in about 
two weeks. In warm latitudes more than twice this number of 
swarms have been known to issue in one season from a 
single stock. The third swarm commonly makes its appear- 
ance on the second or third day after the second swarm, and 
the others, at intervals of about a day. 

In after ^swarming it sometimes occurs that the Queen, 
sfter having appeared on the alighting-board, re-enters the 
hive, either from alarm or some other cause. If she does 
so once, she will be apt to repeat it again and again, and 
the swarm in each instance, will return to the mother hive, 
greatly to the annoyance of the Apiarian. 

After-swarms, or casts, (these names are given to all 



152 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

swarms after the first,) reduce very seriously the strength of 
the parent stock ; for after the departure of the old Queen , 
no more eggs are deposited in the cells, until all swarming 
is over. It is a very wise arrangement that the second 
swarm does not ordinarily issue until all the eggs left by the 
first Queen are hatched, and the young fed and mostly 
sealed over, so as to require no further care. The depart- 
ure of the second swarm earlier than this, would leave too 
few laborers to attend to the wants of the young bees. As 
it is, if the weather after swarming, suddenly becomes chilly,- 
and the hives are thin and admit too much air, the bees are 
too much reduced in numbers, to maintain the heat requisite 
for the proper development of the brood, and numbers are 
destroyed. 

In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I shall discuss the 
efiect of too frequent swarming, on the profits of the Apiary. 
If the bee-keeper desires to have no casts, he can, by the 
use of my hives, very easily, prevent their issue. A few 
days after the first swarm is hived, the parent stock may be 
opened, and all the Queen cells except one removed. How 
much better this is, than to attempt to return the afler-swarms 
to the parent hive, can only be appreciated by one who has 
thoroughly tried both plans. If the Apiarian desires the 
most rapid multiplication of colonies possible, where natural 
swarming is relied on, full directions will be furnished in the 
sequel, for building up all after-swarms, however small, into 
vigorous stocks. 

It will be remembered that both the parent stock from 
which the swarm issues, and all the colonies except the first, 
have a young Queen. These Queens never leave the hive 
for impregnation, until after they have been established as the 
acknowledged heads of independent families. They gene- 
rally go out for this purpose, the first pleasant day, after 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 153 

they are thus acknowledged, early in the afternoon, at which 
hour the drones are flying in the greatest numbers. On 
first leaving their hive, they always fly with their heads turn- 
ed towards it, and enter and dejiart often several times before 
they finally soar up into the air. Such precautions on the 
part of a young Queen, are highly necessary that she may 
not mistake her own hive on her return, and lose her life by 
attempting to enter that of another colony. Mistakes of 
this kind are frequently made when the hives stand near, 
and closely resemble each other, and are fatal, not only to 
the Queen, but to her whole colony. In the new hive there 
is no brood at all, and in the old one it is too far advanced 
towards maturity to answer for raising new Queens. How 
such calamities are to be prevented, or remedied, I shall 
show in the Chapter on the Loss of the Queen. 

When a young Queen leaves the hive for the purpose 
above mentioned, the bees, on missing her, are often filled 
with alarm, and rush from the hive, just as though they were 
intending to swarm. Their agitation soon calms down, if 
she returns to them in safety. I shall give, through the 
medium of the Latin tongue, some statements which are 
important only to the scientific naturalist, and entomologist. 

Post coitum fucus statim perit. Penis ejectio, ut ego com- 
peri, lenem compressionem fuci ventris, consequitur ; et 
fucus extemplo similis fulmine tacto, moritur. Dominus 
Huber seepe videbat fuci organum post congressum, in cor- 
pore feminse hgssisse. Vidi seme! tarn firme inhserens, ut 
nisi disruptione reginse ventris, non possim divellere. 

The Queen commences laying eggs, about two days after 
impregnation, and for the first season, lays almost entirely the 
eggs of workers ; no males being needed in colonies which 
will throw no swarm till another season. It is seldom unhl 
after she has commenced replenishing the cells with eggs 



154 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

that she is treated with any special attention by the bees ; 
although if deprived of her before this time, they show, by 
their despair, that they thoroughly comprehended her vast 
importance to their welfare. 

A first sv^^arm will sometimes swarm again, about a month 
after it is hived ; but this, in Northern climates, is a rare 
occurrence. In Texas, I have known even second swarms 
to do the same ; and many colonies swarm there in Septem- 
ber and October. In the Northern and Middle States, 
swarming is usually all over, in three or four weeks after it 
commences. Inexperienced bee-keepers, ignorant of this 
fact, often watch their Apiaries, long after the swarming 
season has passed. 

I shall now give such practical directions for the easy 
hiving of swarms, as will, I trust, greatly facilitate the whole 
operation, not merely to the novice, but even to many expe- 
rienced bee-keepers ; and I shall try to make these direc- 
tions sufficiently minute, to guide those who having never 
seen a swarm hived, are very apt to imagine that the process 
must be a formidable one, instead of being, as it usually is 
to those who are fond of bees, a most delightful entertain- 
ment. Experience in this, as in other things, will speedily 
give the requisite skill and confidence ; and the cry of " the 
bees are swarming," will soon be hailed with greater plea- 
sure than an invitation to the most sumptuous banquet. 

The hives for the new swarms should be in readiness 
before the swarming season begins, and painted long enough 
beforehand, to have the paint most thoroughly dried. The 
smell of fresh paint is well known to be exceedingly injuri- 
ous to human beings, and is such an abomination to the bees, 
that they will often desert a new hive sooner than put up 
with it. If the hives cannot be painted in ample season^ 
then such paints should be preferred as contain no white 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 155 

lead, and they should be mixed so as to dry as quickly as 
possible. Thin hives ought never to stand in the sun, and 
then, when heated to an insufferable degree, be used for a 
new swarm. Bees often refuse to enter such hives at all, 
and at best, are very slow in taking possession of them. It 
should be borne in mind, that bees, when they swarm, are 
greatly excited, and unnaturally heated. The temperature 
of the hive, at the moment of swarming, rises very suddenly, 
and many of the bees are often drenched with such a pro- 
fuse perspiration that they are unable to take wing and join 
the departing colony. The attempt to make bees enter a 
heated hive, in a blaizing sun, is as irrational as it would be 
to try to force a panting crowd of human beings into the 
suffocating atmosphere of a close garret. If bees are put 
in hives through which the heat of the sun can penetrate, 
the process should be accomplished in the shade, or the hive 
covered with a sheet, or shaded with leafy boughs. 

If a hive with movable frames is used, the Apiarian can 
use all his good worker-comb, by attaching it firmly to the 
frames, with melted wax or resin. Such, however, is the 
shape of these frames, that the bees will, without any guide 
combs, build their combs with great regularity. This result 
has only been obtained by me after years of careful and 
laborious experiment. 

Drone combs should never be attached to the frames as a 
guide, unless it is desired to have the bees follow the pattern, 
and build large ranges of drone comb, to breed a vast horde 
of useless consumers. Such comb, if white, may be used 
to great advantage in the surplus honey-boxes ; if old and 
discolored, it should be melted for wax. Every piece of 
.good worker-comb, if large enough to be attached to a 
frame, should be used both for its intrinsic value, and be- 
cause bees are so wonderfully pleased when they find such 



156 SWAKMING AND HIVING. 

unexpected treasures in a hive, that they will seldom desert 
it. A new swarm has been known to take possession of an 
old hive without any occupants, but well stored wiih comb. 
Though dozens of empiy hives may be in the Apiary, ihey 
very seldom, unless under such circumstances, enter a hive, 
of their own accord. It might seem as though an instinct 
impelling them to do so, would have been a most admirable 
one, and so doubtless, it may seem to some that it would 
have been much better, if the earth had brought forth spon- 
taneously all things requisite for the support of man and 
beast, without any necessity for ihe sweat of the brow. 

The first and last frames in my hive, are placed three- 
eighths of an inch from the ends, and the others just five- 
eighlhs of an inch apart. When the tops of my frames are 
an inch wide, they are placed only half an inch apart. 
When first put in, the rabbets on which they rest should be 
smeared with flour paste, to keep them in their places, until 
they are fastened with propolis, by the bees. The rubbing 
of hives with various kinds of herbs or washes, has always 
seemed to me, useless, and often positively injurious. There 
ought always to be some small trees near the hives, on which 
the swarms can cluster, and from which they can be easily 
gathered. If there are none, limbs of trees about six feet 
high, (evergreens are best,) may be fastened into the ground, 
a few rods in front of the hives, and will answer a very 
good temporary purpose. It will inspire the inexperienced 
Apiarian with much greater confidence, to remember that 
almost all the bees in a swarm, have filled themselves with 
honey, before leaving the parent stock, and are therefore in 
a very peaceable mood. If he is at all timid, or liable, as 
some are, to suffer severely from the sting of a single bee,, 
he should, by all means, furnish himself with the protection 
of a bee-dress. (See Bee-Dress.) 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 157 

When the bees have quietly clustered around their Queen, 
preparations should be made to hive them without any un- 
necessary delay. The headlong haste of some Apiarians, 
which, by throwing them into a profuse perspiration, renders 
them very liable to be stung, is altogether unnecessary. The 
very fact that the bees have clustered, after leaving the 
parent slock, is almost equivalent to a certainty that they 
will not leave, for at least one or two hours. All convenient 
despatch should be used, however, lest other colonies issue 
before the first one is hived, and attempt to add themselves, 
as they frequently do, to the first swarm. The proper 
course to be pursued, in such a case, will be subsequently 
explained. If my hives are used, the entrance on the whole 
front must be opened, so that the bees may have every 
chance to enter as rapidly as possible ; and a sheet must be 
securely fastened to the alighting-board, to keep the bees 
from being separated from each other or soiled by dirt, for 
a bee thoroughly covered with dust or dirt, is almost sure to 
perish. If the common hives are used, they must be prop- 
ped up on the sheet, so as to give the bees a free admis- 
sion. When the bees alight where they can be easily reached 
from the ground, the limb on which they have clustered, 
should, with one hand, be shaken, so that they may gently 
fall into a basket held under them, by the other. If the 
basket is sufficiently open to admit the air freely, and not so 
open as to allow the bees to get through the sides, it will 
answer all the better. The bees should now be gently sha- 
ken, or poured out, on the sheet, in front of their new home. 
If they seem at all reluctant to enter, take up a few of them 
in a large spoon, and shake them close to the entrance. 
As they go in, they will fan with their wings, and raise a 
peculiar note, which communicates to their companions, the 
joyful news that they have found a home ; and in a short 
14 



158 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

time, the whole swarm will enter, without injury to a single 
bee. When bees are once shaken down on the sheet, the 
great mass of them are very unwilling to take wing again ; 
for they are loaded with honey, and like heavily armed 
troops, they desire to march slowly and sedately to the place 
of encampment. If the sheet hangs in folds, or is not 
stretched out, so as to present an uninterrupted surface, they 
are often greatly confused, and take a long time to find the 
entrance to the hive. If it is desired to have them enter 
sooner than they are sometimes inclined to do, they may be 
gently separated, with a feather, or leafy twig, when they 
gather in bunches on the sheet ; or better still, they may be 
gently " spooned up " and emptied out before the entrance 
of the hive. If they cluster in the portico of my hive, they 
should be treated in the same way. 

On first shaking them down into the basket, some will 
again take wing, and others will be left on the tree, but if 
the Queen has been secured, they will speedily form a line 
of communication with those on the sheet, and enter the 
hive with them. It sometimes happens that the Queen is left 
on the tree : in this case, the bees will either refuse to enter 
the hive, or if they go in, will speedily come out, and all 
take wing again, to join their Queen. This happens much 
more frequently in the case of after-swarms, whose young 
Queens, instead of exhibiting the gravity of the old matron, 
are apt to be constantly flying about and frisking in the air. 
When the bees forsake the hive and cluster again on the 
tree, the process of hiving must be repeated. 

If the Apiarian has a pair of sharp pruning-shears, and 
the limb on which the bees have clustered, is of no value, 
and so small, that it can be cut without jarring them off, this 
may be done, and the bees carried on it and then shaken off 
on the sheet. 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 159 

If the bees settle too high to be easily reached, the basket 
should be fastened to a pole, and raised directly under the 
swarna ; a quick motion of the basket will cause the mass of 
the bees to fall into it, when it may be carried to the hive, 
and the bees poured out from it on the sheet. 

If the bees light on the trunk of a tree, or any thing from 
which they cannot easily be gathered in a basket, place a 
leafy bough over them, (it may be fastened with a gimlet,) 
and if they do not mount it of their own accord, a little 
smoke will compel them to do so. If the place is inacces- 
sible, and this is about the worst case that occurs, they will 
enter a basket well shaded by cotton cloth fastened around 
it, and elevated so as to rest with its open top sideways to 
the mass of the bees. When small trees, or limbs fastened 
into the ground, are placed near the hives, and there are no 
large trees near, there will seldom be found any difficulty in 
hiving swarms. 

If two swarms light together, I advise that they should be 
put into one hive, and abundant room at once given them, 
for storing surplus honey. This can always be readily done 
in my hives. Large quantities of honey are generally ob- 
tained from such stocks, if the season is favorable, and they 
have issued early. If it is desired to separate them, place 
in each of the hives which is to receive them, a comb con- 
taining brood and eggs, from which, in case of necessity, a 
new Queen may be raised. Shake a portion of the bees in 
front of each hive, sprinkling them thoroughly, both before 
and after they are shaken out from the basket, so that they 
will not take wing to unite again. If possible, secure the 
Queens, so that one may be given to each hive. If this can- 
not be done, the hives should be examined the next day, and 
if the two Queens entered the same hive, one will have killed 
the other, and the queenless hive will be found building 



IGO SWARMING AND HIVING. 

royal cells. It should be supplied with a sealed Queen nearly 
mature, taken from another bive, not only to save time, but 
to prevent them from filling their hive with comb unfit for 
the rearing of workers. (See Artificial Swarming.) Of 
course, this cannot be done with the common hives, and if 
the Apiarian does not succeed in getting a Queen for each 
hive, the queenless one will refuse to stay, and go back to 
the old stock. 

The old-fashioned way of hiving bees, by mounting trees- 
cutting and lowering down large limbs, (often to the injury 
of valuable trees,) and placing the hive over the bees, fre- 
quently crushing large numbers, and endangering the life of 
the Queen, should be entirely abandoned. A swarm may 
be hived in the proper way with far less risk and trouble, 
and in much less time. In large Apiaries managed on the 
swarming plan, where a number of swarms come out on 
the same day, and there is constant danger of their mixing,* 
the speedy hiving of swarms is an object of great impor- 
tance. If the new hive does not stand where it is to remain 

*Dr. ScudamorC; an English physician who has written a small 
tract on the formation of artificial swarms, says that he once knew 
*' as many as ten swarms go forth at once, and settle and mingle to- 
gether, forming literally a monster meeting!" Instances are on 
record of a much larger number of swarms clustering together. A 
venerable clergyman, in Western Massachusetts, related to me the 
following remarkable occurrence. In the Apiary of one of his parish- 
ioners, five swarms lit in one mass. As there was no hive which 
would hold them, a very large box was roughly nailed together, and 
the bees were hived in it. They were taken up by sulphur in the Fall, 
when it was perfectly evident that the five swarms had occupied the 
same box as independent colonies. Four of them had commenced 
their works, each one near a corner, and the fifth one in the middle, 
and there was a distinct interval separating the works of the different 
colonies. In Cotton's '' My Bee Book," there is a cut illustrating a 
hive in which two colonies had built in the same manner. 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 161 

for the season, it should be removed to its permanent stand 
as soon as the bees have entered ; for if allowed to remain 
to be removed in the evening, or early next morning, the 
scouts which have left the cluster, in search of a hollow 
tree, will find the bees when they return, and will often en- 
tice them from the hive. There is the greater danger of 
this, if the bees remain on the tree, a considerable time be- 
fore they are hived. I have invariably found that swarms 
which abandon a suitable hive for the woods, have been 
hived near the spot where they clustered, and allowed to re- 
main to be moved in the evening. If the bees swarm early 
in the day, they will generally begin to work in a few hours 
(or in less time, if they have empty comb,) and many more 
may be lost by returning next day to the place where they 
were hived, than would be lost, by removing them as soon 
as they have entered ; in this latter case, the few that are on 
the wing, will generally be able to find the hive if it is 
slowly moved to its permanent stand. 

If the Apiarian wishes to secure the Q,ueen, the bees 
should be shaken from the hiving basket, about a foot from 
the entrance to the hive, and if a careful look-out is kept, she 
will generally be seen as she passes over the sheet, to the 
entrance. Care must be taken to brush the bees back from 
the entrance when they press forward in such dense masses 
that the Queen is likely to enter unobserved. An experi- 
enced eye readily notices her peculiar form and color. She 
may be taken up without danger, as she never stings, unless 
engaged in combat with another Q.ueen. As it v/ill some- 
times happen, even to careful bee-keepers, that swarms 
come off when no suitable hives are in readiness to receive 
them, I shall show what may be done in such an emergency. 
Take any old hive, box, cask, or measure, and hive the bees 
in it, placing them with suitable protection against the sun^ 
14* 



162 SWARMING AND HIVING. 

where their new hive is to stand ; when this is ready, they 
may, by a quick jerking motion, be easily shaken out on a 
sheet, and hived in it, just as though they were shaken from 
the hiving basket. 

Before leaving this subject, I will add to the directions for 
hiving already given, a method which I have practiced with 
good success. 

When the situation of the bees does not admit of the bas- 
ket being easily elevated to them, the bee-keeper may carry 
it with him to the cluster, and then after shaking ihe bees 
into it, may lower it down by a string, 1o an assistant s-tand- 
ing below. 

I have endeavored, even at the risk of being tedious, to 
give such specific directions as will qualify the novice to 
hive a swarm of bees, under almost any circumstances; for 
I know the necessity of such directions and how seldom 
they are to be met with, even in large treatises on Bee-Keep- 
ing. Vague or imperfect directions always fail, just at the 
moment that the inexperienced attempt to put them into 
practice. 

That Natural Swarming may, with suitable hives, be 
made highly profitable, I cannot for a moment question. 
As it is the most simple and obvious way of multiplying 
colonies, and the one which requires the least knowledge or 
skill, it will undoubtedly, for many years at least, be the fa- 
vorite method w'ith a large number of bee-keepers. I have 
therefore, been careful to furnish suitable directions for its 
successful practice; and before I discuss the question of Ar- 
tificial Increase, I shall show how it may be more profitably 
conducted than ever before ; many of the most embarrassing 
difficulties in the way of its successful management being 
readily obviated by the use of my hives. 

1. The common hives fail to furnish adequate protection 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 16S 

in Winter, against cold, and those sudden changes to unsea- 
sonable warmth, by which bees are tempted to come out and 
perish in large numbers on the snow ; and the colonies are 
thus prevented from breeding on a large scale, as early as 
they otherwise would. Under such circumstances, they can 
make no profitable use of the early honey-harvest ; and ihey 
v/ill swarm so late, if they swarm at all, as to have but little 
opportunity for laying up surplus honey, while often they do 
not gather enough even for their own use, and iheir owner 
closes the season by purchasing honey to preserve them from 
starvation. The way in which I give the bees thai amount 
of protection in Winter, which conduces most powerfully to 
early swarming, has already been described in the Chapter 
on Protection. 

2. Another serious objection to all the ordinary swarming 
hives, is the vexatious fact that if the bees swarm at all, 
they are liable to swarm so often as to destroy the value of 
both the parent stock and the after-swarms. Experienced 
bee-keepers obviate this difficulty, by uniting second swarms, 
so as to make one good colony out of two ; and they return 
to the parent stock all swarms after the second, and even 
this if the season is far advanced. Such operations consume 
much time, and often give much more trouble than they are 
worth. By removing all the queen cells but one, after the 
first swarm has left, second swarming in my hives will al- 
ways be prevented ; and by removing all but two, provision 
may be made for the issue of second swarms, and yet all 
after-swarming be prevented. The process of returning 
after-swarms is not only objectionable, on account of the 
time it requires, having in many instances to be repeated 
again and again before one Queen is allowed to destroy the 
others ; but it also causes a large portion of the gathering 
season to be wasted \ for the bees seem unwilling to work 



164 SWARMING AND HIVING, 

with energy, so long as the pretensions of several rival 
Queens are unsettled. 

3. Another very serious objection to Natural Swarming, 
as practiced with the common hives, is the inability of the 
Apiarian who wishes rapidly to multiply his colonies, to aid 
his late and small swarms, so as to build them op into vigor- 
ous stocks. The time and money which are ordinarily spent 
upon small colonies, are almost always thrown away; by 
far the larger portion of them never survive the Winter, and 
the majority of those that do, are so enfeebled, as to be of 
little or no value. If they escape being robbed by stronger 
stocks, or destroyed by the moth, they seldom recruit in sea- 
son to swarm, and very often the feeding must be repeated, 
the second Fall, or they will at last perish. I doubt not that 
many of my readers will, from their own experience, en- 
dorse every word of these remarks, as true to the very let- 
ter. All who have ever attempted to multiply colonies by 
nursing and feeding small swarms, on the ordinary plans, 
have found it attended with nothing but loss and vexation. 
The more a man has of such stocks, the poorer he is : for 
by their weakness, they are constantly tempting his strong 
swarms to evil courses ; so that at last, they prefer to live as 
far as they can, by stealing, rather than by habits of honest 
industry; and if the feeble colonies escape being plundered, 
they often become mere nurseries for raising a plentiful sup- 
ply of moths, to ravage his whole Apiary. 

I have already shown, in what way by the use of my 
hives, the smallest swarms that ever issue, may be so man- 
aged as to become powerful stocks. In the same way the 
Apiarian can easily strengthen all his colonies which are 
feeble in Spring. 

4. As the loss of the young Queens in the parent stock- 
after it has swarmed, and in the after-swarmSy is a very 



SWARMING AND HIVING. 165 

common occurrence, a hive which like mine, furnishes the 
means of easily remedying this misfortune, will greatly pro- 
mote the success of those who practice natural swarming. 
A very inlelligent bee-keeper once assured me, that he must 
use at least one such hive in his Apiary, for this purpose, 
even if in other respects it possessed no superior merits. 

5. Bees, as is well known, often refuse to swarm at all, 
and most of the swarming hives are so constructed, that 
proper accommodations for storing honey, cannot be fur- 
nished to the super-abundant population. Under such cir- 
cumstances, they often hang for several months, in black 
masses on the outside of the hive; and are worse than use- 
less, as they consume the honey which the others have gath- 
ered. In my hives, an abundance of room for storing honey 
can always be given them, not all at oiice^ so as to prevenl 
them from swarming, but by degrees, as their necessities 
require : so that if they are indisposed, for any reason to 
swarm, they may have suitable receptacles easily accessible, 
and furnished with guide comb to make them more attrac- 
tive, in which to store up any amount of honey they can 
possibly collect. 

6. In the common hives, but little can be done to dislodge 
the bee-moth, when once it has gained the mastery of the 
bees; whereas in mine, it can be most effectually rooted 
out when it has made a lodgment. (See Remarks on Bee.' 
Moth.) 

7. In the common hives, nothing can be done except with 
great difficulty, to remove the old Queen when her fertility 
is impaired : whereas in my hives, (as will be shown in the 
Chapter on Artificial Swarming,) this can easily be effected, 
so that an Apiary may constantly contain a stock of young 
Queens, in the full vigor of their re-productive powers. 

I trust that these remarks will convince intelligent Apia- 



166 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

rians, that I have not spoken boastfully or at random, in as- 
serting that natural swarming can be carried on with much 
greater certainty and success, by the use of my hives, than 
in any other way ; and that they will see that many of the 
most perplexing embarrassments and mortifying discourage- 
ments under which they have hitherto prosecuted it, may be 
effectually remedied. 



CHAPTER XL 

Artificial Swarming. 

The numerous efforts which have been made for the last 
fifiy years or more, to dispense with natural swarming, 
plainly indicate the anxiety of Apiarians to find some better 
mode of increasing their colonies. 

Although I am able to propagate bees by natural swarm- 
ing, with a rapidity and certainty unattainable except by the 
complete control of all the combs in the hive, still there are 
difficulties in this mode of increase, inherent to the system 
itself, and therefore entirely incapable of being removed by 
any kind of hive. Before describing the various methods 
which I employ to increase colonies by artificial means, I 
shall first enumerate these difficulties, in order that each 
individual bee-keeper may decide for himself, in which way 
he can most advantageously propagate his bees. 

1. The large number of swarms lost every year, is a 
powerful argument against natural swarming. 

An eminent Apiarian has estimated that one-fourth of the 
best swarms are lost every season ! This estimate can 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 167 

hardly be considered too high, if all who keep bees are 
taken into account. While some bee-keepers are so careful 
that they seldom lose a swarm, the majority, either from the 
grossest negligence, or from necessary hindrances during 
the swarming season, are constantly incurring serious losses, 
by the flight of their bees to the woods. It is next to impos- 
sible, entirely to prevent such occurrences, if bees are allow- 
ed to swarm at all. 

2. The great amount of time and labor required by natu- 
ral swarming, has always been regarded as a decided objec- 
tion to this mode of increase. 

As soon as the swarming season begins, the Apiary must 
be closely watched almost every day, or some of the new 
swarms will be lost. If this business is entrusted to thought- 
less children, or careless adults, many swarms will be lost 
by their neglect. It is very evident that but few persons 
who keep bees, can always be on hand to watch them and 
to hive the new swarms. But, in the height of the swarm- 
ing season, if any considerable number of colonies is kept, 
the Apiarian, to guard against serious losses, should either 
be always on the spot himself, or have some one who can be 
entrusted with the care of his bees. Even the Sabbath can- 
not be observed as a day of rest ; and often, instead of being 
able to go to the House of God, the bee-keeper is compelled 
to labor among his bees, as hard as on other days, or even 
harder. That he is as justifiable in hiving his bees on the 
Sabbath, as in taking care of his stock, can admit of no seri- 
ous doubt ; but the very liability of being called to do so, is 
with many, a sufficient objection against Apiarian pursuits. 

The merchant, mechanic and professional naan, are often 
so situated that they would take great interest in bees, if 
they were not deterred from their cultivation by inability to 
take care of them, during the swarming season ; and they 



168 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

are thus debarred from a pursuit, which is intensely fascinat- 
ing, not merely to the lover of Nature, but to every one 
possessed of an inquiring mind. No man who spends some 
of his leisure hours in studying the wonderful habits and 
instincts of bees, will ever complain that he can find noth- 
incr 10 fill up his time out of the range of his business, or the 
gratification of his appetites. Bees may be kept with great 
advantage, even in large cities, and those who are debarred 
from every other rural pursuit, may still listen to the sooth- 
ing hum of the industrious bee, and harvest annually its 
delicious nectar. 

If the Apiarian could always be on hand during the 
swarming season, it would still, in many instances, be exceed- 
ingly inconvenient for him to attend to his bees. How often 
is the farmer interrupted in the business of hay-making, by 
the cry that his bees are swarming ; and by the time he has 
hived them, perhaps a shower comes up, and his hay is in- 
jured more than the swarm is worth. Thus the keeping of 
a few bees, instead of a source of profit, often becomes 
rather an expensive luxury ; and if a very large stock is 
kept, the difliculties and embarrassments are often most 
seriously increased. If the weather becomes pleasant after 
a succession of days unfavorable for swarming, it oflen hap- 
pens that several swarms rise at once, and cluster together, 
to the great annoyance of the Apiarian ; and not unfre- 
quently, in the noise and confusion, other swarms fly ofi", 
and are entirely lost. I have seen the Apiarian so perplexed 
and exhausted under such circumstances, as to be almost 
ready to WMsh that he had never seen a bee. 

3. The managing of bees by natural swarming, must, in 
our country, almost entirely prevent the establishment of 
large Apiaries. 

Even if it were possible, in this way, to multiply bees 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 169 

with certainty and rapidity, and without any of the perplex- 
ities which I have just described, how few persons are so 
situated as to be able to give almost the whole of their tinne 
in the busiest part of the year, to the management of their 
bees. The swarming season is with the farmer, the very 
busiest part of the whole year, and if he purposes to keep 
a large number of swarming hives, he must not only devote 
nearly the whole of his time, for a number of weeks, to 
their supervision, but at a season when labor commands the 
highest price, he will often be compelled to hire additional 
assistance. 

I have long been convinced that, as a general rule, the 
keeping of a few colonies in swarming hives, costs more 
than they are worth, and that the keeping of a very large 
number is entirely out of the question, unless with those who 
are so situated that they can afford to devote their time, for 
about two months every year, almost entirely to their bees. 
The number of persons who can afford to do this must be 
very small ; and I have seldom heard of a bee-keeper, in our 
country, who has an Apiary on a scale extensive enough to- 
make bee-keeping anything more than a subordinate pursuit. 
Multitudes have tried to make it a large and remunerating 
business, but hitherto, I believe that they have nearly all been 
'disappointed in their expectations. 

4. A serious objection to natural swarming, is the discour- 
aging fact that the bees often refuse to swarm at all, and the 
Apiarian finds it impossible to multiply his colonies with any 
certainty or rapidity, even although he may find himself in 
all respects favorably situated for the cultivation of bees, and 
may be exceedingly anxious to engage in the business on a 
much more extensive scale. 

I am acquainted with many careful bee-keepers who have 
managed their bees according to the most reliable informa- 
15 



170 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

tion they could obtain, never destroying any of their colonies, 
and endeavoring to multiply them to the best of their ability, 
who yet have not as many stocks as they had ten years ago. 
Most of them would abandon the pursuit, if they looked 
upon bee-keeping simply in the light of dollars and cents, 
rather than as a source of pleasant recreation ; and some do 
not hesitate to say that much more money has been spent, 
by the mass of those who have used patent hives, than they 
have ever realized from their bees. 

It is a very simple matter to make calculations on paper, 
which shall seem to point out a road to w^ealth, almost as 
flattering, as a tour to the gold mines of Australia or Califor- 
nia. Only purchase a patent bee-hive, and if it fulfills all or 
even a part of the promises of its sanguine inventor, a for- 
tune must, in the course of a few years, be certainly real- 
ized ; but such are the disappointments resulting from the 
bees refusing often to swarm at all, that if the hive could 
remedy all the other difficulties in the way of bee-keeping, 
it would still fail to answer the reasonable wishes of the 
experienced Apiarian. If every swarm of bees could be 
made to yield a profit of twenty dollars a year, and if the 
Apiarian could be sure of selling his new swarms at the 
most extravagant prices, he could not, like the growers of 
mulberry trees, or the breeders of fancy fowls, multiply his 
stocks so as to meet the demand, however extensive ; but 
would be entirely dependent upon the whims and caprices 
of his bees; or rather, upon the natural laws which control 
their swarming. 

Every practical bee-keeper is well aware of the utter 
uncertainty of natural swarming. Under no circumstances, 
can its occurrence be confidently relied on. While some 
stocks swarm regularly and repeatedly, others, strong in 
numbers and rich in stores although the season may, in all 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 171 

respects, be propitious, refuse to swarm at all. Such colo- 
nies, on examination, will often be found to have taken no 
steps for raising young Queens. In some cases, the wings 
of the old mother will be found defective, while in others, 
she is abundantly able to fly, but seems to prefer the riches 
of the old hive, to the risks attending the formation of a new 
colony. It frequently happens, in our uncertain climate, 
that when all the necessary preparations have been made 
for swarming, the weather proves unpropitious for so long a 
time, that the young Queens approaching maturity before the 
old one can leave, are all destroyed. This is a very fre- 
quent occurrence, and under such circumstances, swarming 
is almost certain to be prevented, for that season. The 
young Queens are frequently destroyed, even although the 
weather is pleasant, in consequence of some sudden and 
perhaps only temporary suspension of the honey harvest ; 
for bees seldom colonize even if all their preparations are 
completed, unless the flowers are yielding an abundant sup- 
ply of honey. 

From these and other causes which my limits will not 
permit me to notice, it has hitherto been found impossible, 
in the uncertain climate of our Northern States, to multiply 
colonies very rapidly, by natural swarming ; and bee-keep- 
ing, on this plan, offers very poor inducements to those who 
are aware how little has been accomplished, even by the 
most enthusiastic, experienced and energetic Apiarians. 

The numerous perplexities which have ever attended nat» 
ural swarming, have for ages, directed the attention of prac- 
tical cultivators, to the importance of devising some more 
reliable method of increasing their colonies. Columella, 
who lived about the middle of the first century of the Chris- 
tian Era, and who wrote twelve books on husbandry (De re 
rustica,) has given directions for making artificial colonies. 



172 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

He says, " you must examine the hive, and view what honey- 
combs it has ; then afterwards from the wax which contains 
the seeds of the young bees, you must cut away that part 
wherein the offspring of the royal brood is animated : for this 
is easy to be seen ; because at the very end of the wax- 
works there appears, as it were, a thimble-like process (some- 
what similar to an acorn,) rising higher, and having a wider 
cavity, than the rest of the holes, wherein the young bees of 
vulgar note are contained." 

Hyginus, who flourished before Columella had evidently 
noticed the royal jelly ; for he speaks of cells larger than 
those of the common bees, " filled as it were with a solid 
substance of a red color ^ out of which the winged king is at 
first formed." This ancient observer must undoubtedly 
have seen the quince-like jelly, a portion of which is always 
found at the base of the royal cells, after the Queens 
have emerged. The ancients generally called the Queen a 
king, although Aristotle says that some in his time called her 
the mother. Swammerdam vv^as the first to prove by dissec- 
tion that the Queen is a perfect female, and the only one in 
the hive, and that the drone is the male. 

For reasons which I shall shortly mention, the ancient 
methods of artificial increase appear to have met with but 
small success. Towards the close of Ihe last century, a 
Dew impulse was given to the artificial production of swarms, 
by the experiments and discoveries of Schirach, a German 
clergyman, who introduced to the notice of the apiarian 
world the fact previously known to a few, that bees are able 
to rear a Queen from worker brood. For want, however, 
of a more thorough knowledge of some important principles 
in the economy of the bee, these eflTorts met with but slender 
encouragement. 

Huber, after his splendid discoveries in the physiology of 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 173 

the bee, perceived at once, the importance of multiplying 
colonies by some method more reliable than that of natural 
swarming. His leaf or book hive consisted of twelve frames, 
each an inch and a quarter in width ; any one of which 
could be opened at pleasure. He recommends forming arti- 
ficial swarms, by dividing one of these hives into two parts ; 
adding to each part six empty frames. After using a Huber 
hive for a number of years, I became perfectly convinced 
that it could only be made serviceable, by an adroit, experi- 
enced and fearless Apiarian. The bees fasten the frames in 
such a manner, with their propolis, that they cannot, except 
with extreme care, be opened without jarring the bees, and 
exciting their anger ; nor can they be shut without constant 
danger of crushing them. Huber nowhere speaks of having 
multiplied colonies extensively by such hives, and although 
they have been in use more than sixty years, they have 
never been successfully employed for such a purpose. If 
Huber had only contrived a plan for suspending his frames, 
instead of folding them together like the leaves of a book, I 
believe that the cause of Apiarian science would have been 
fifty years in advance of what it now is. 

Dividing hives of various kinds have been used in this 
country. After giving some ef the best of them a thorough 
trial, and inventing others which somewhat resembled the 
Huber hive, I found that they could not possibly be made to 
answer any valuable end in securing artificial swarms. For 
a long time I felt that the plan ought to succeed, and it was 
not until I had made numerous experiments with my hive 
substantially as now constructed, that I ascertained the pre- 
cise causes of failure. 

It may be regarded as one of the laws of the bee-hive, 
that bees, when not in possession of a mature Queen, seldom 
build any comb except such as being designed merely for 
15* 



174 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

Storing honey, is too coarse for the rearing of workers. 
Until I became acquainted with the discoveries of Dzierzon, 
I supposed myself to be the only observer who had noticed 
this remarkable fact, and who had been led by it, to modify 
the whole system of artificial swarming. The perusal of 
Mr. Wagner's manuscript translation of that author, showed 
me that he had arrived at precisely similar results. 

It may seem at first, very unaccountable that bees should 
go on to fill their hives with comb unfit for breeding, when 
the young Queen will so soon require worker-cells for her 
eggs ; but it must be borne in mind, that bees, under such 
circumstances, are always in an unnatural state. In a state 
of nature they seldom swarm until the hive is full of comb, 
and if they do, their numbers are so much reduced, that 
they are rarely able to resume comb-buildieg, until their 
young Queen has hatched. 

The determination of bees, when they have no mature 
Queen, if they build any comb at all, to build such as is 
suited only for storing honey, and unfil for breeding, will 
show at once, the folly of attempting to multiply colonies by 
the dividing-hives. Even if the Apiarian has been perfect- 
ly successful in dividing a colony, and the part without a 
Queen takes the necessary steps to supply her loss, if the 
bees are sufficiently numerous to build a large quantity of 
new comb, (and they ought to be in order to make the arti- 
ficial colony of any value,) they will build this comb in such 
a manner that it will answer only for storing honey, while 
they will use the half of the hive with the old comb, for the 
purpose of breeding. The next year, if an attempt is made 
to divide this hive, one half will contain nearly all the brood 
and mature bees, while the other, having most of the honey, 
in combs unfit for breeding, the new colony formed from it 
will be a complete failure. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 175 

Even with a Huber hive, the plan of muUiplying colonies 
by dividing a full hive into two parts, and adding an empty 
half to each, will be attended with serious difficulties ; al- 
though some of them may be remedied in consequence of 
the hive being constructed so as to divide into many parts ; 
the very attempt to remedy them, however, will be found to 
require a degree of skill and knowledge far in advance of 
what can be expected of the great mass of bee-keepers. 

The common dividing hives, separating into two parts, can 
never, under any circumstances, be made of the least prac- 
tical value ; and the business of multiplying colonies by 
them, will be found far more laborious, uncertain and vexa- 
tious, than to rely on natural swarming. I do not know of 
a solitary practical Apiarian, who, on trial of this system, 
has not been compelled to abandon it, and allow the bees to 
swarm from his dividing hives in the old-fashioned way. 

Some Apiarians have attempted to multiply their colonies 
by putting a piece of brood comb containing the materials 
for raising a new Queen, into an empty hive, set in the place 
of a strong slock which has been removed to a new stand 
when thousands of its inmates were abroad in the fields. 
This method is still worse than the one which has just been 
described. In the dividing hive, the bees already had a 
large quantity of comb adapted for breeding, while in this 
having next to none, they build all their combs until the 
Queen is hatched, of a size unsuitable for rearing workers. 
In the first case, the queenless part of the dividing hive 
may have had a young Queen almost mature, so that the 
process of building large combs would be of short contin- 
uance ; for as soon as the young Queen begins to lay, the 
bees at once commence building combs adapted to the re- 
ception of worker eggs. In some of my attempts to rear 
artificial swarms by moving a full stock, as described above, 



176 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

I have had combs built of enormous size, nearly four inches 
through ! and these monster combs have afterw^ards been 
pieced out on their lower edge, with worker cells for the 
accommodation of the ycung Queen. So uniformly do the 
bees with an unhatched Queen, build in the way described, 
that I can often tell at a single glance, by seeing what kind 
of comb they are building, that a hive is queenless, or that 
having been so, they have now a fertile young Queen. 
When a new colony is formed, by dividing the old hive, the 
queenless part has thousands of cells filled with brood and 
eggs, and young bees will be hourly hatching, for at least 
three weeks ; and by this time, the young Queen will be 
laying eggs, so that there will be an interval of not more 
than three weeks, during which no accessions will be made 
to the numbers of the colony. But when a new swarm is 
formed by moving, not an egg will be deposited for nearly 
three weeks ; and not a bee will be hatched for nearly six 
weeks; and during all this time, the colony will rapidly de. 
crease, until by the time that the progeny of the young 
Queen begins to emerge from their cells, the number of bees 
in the new hive will be so small, that it would be'of no value, 
even if its combs were of the best construction. 

Every observing bee-keeper must have noticed how rap- 
idly even a powerful swarm diminishes in number, for the 
first three weeks after it has been hived. In many cases, 
before the young begin to hatch, it does not contain one half 
its original number ; so very great is the mortality of bees 
during the height of the working season. 

I have most thoroughly tested, in the only way in which 
it can be practiced in the ordinary hives, this last plan of 
artificial swarming, and do not hesitate to say that it does 
not possess the very slightest practical value ; and as this is 
the method which Apiarians have usually tried, it is not 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 177 

strange that they have almost unanimously pronounced 
artificial swarming to be utterly worthless. The experi- 
ence of Dzierzon on this point has been the same with my 
own. 

Another method of artificial swarming has been zealous- 
ly advocated, which, if it could only be made to answer, 
would be, of all conceivable plans the most effectual, and as 
it would require the smallest amount of labor, experience, 
or skill, would be everywhere practiced. A number of 
hives must be put in connection with each other, so as to 
communicate by holes which allow the bees to travel from 
any one apartment to the others. The bees, on this plan, 
are to colonize themselaes, and it is asserted that in due time, 
a single swarm will, of its own accord, multiply so as to 
form a large number of independent families, each one pos- 
sessing its own Queen, aijd all living in perfect harmony. 

This method so beautiful and fascinating in theory, has 
been repeatedly tried with various ingenious modifications, 
but in every instance, as far as I know, it has proved an en- 
tire failure. It will always be found if bees are allowed to 
pass from one hive to another, that they will still, for the 
most part, confine their breeding operations to a single apart- 
ment, if it is of the ordinary size, while the others will be 
used, chiefly for the storing of honey. This is almost inva- 
riably the case, if the additional room is given by collateral 
or side boxes, as the Queen seldom enters such apartments 
for the purpose of breeding. If the new hive is directly 
helow that in which the swarm is first lodged, then if the 
connections are suitable, the Queen will be almost certain to 
descend and lay her eggs in the new combs, as soon as they 
are commenced by the bees; in this case, the upper hive is 
almost entirely abandoned by her, and the bees store the 
cells with honey, as fast as the brood is hatched, as iheiy in» 



178 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

stinct impels them always, if they can, to keep their stores 
of honey above the breeding cells. So long as bees have 
an abundance of room below their main hive, they very sel- 
dom swarm, but use it in the way that I have described ; if, 
however, the room is on the sides of their hive, or above 
them, they frequently prefer to swarm rather than to take 
possession of it. But in none of these cases, do they ever, 
if left to themselves^ form separate and independent col- 
onies. 

I am aware that the Apiarian, by separating from the main 
hive with a slide, an apartment that contains brood, may suc- 
ceed in rearing an artificial colony ; but unless all his hives 
admit of the most thorough inspection, as he can never know 
their exact condition, he must always work in the dark, and 
will be far more likely to fail than succeed. Success indeed 
can only be possible when a skillful Apiarian devotes a large 
portion of his time to watching and managing his bees, so 
as to compel them to colonize, and even then it will be very 
uncertain ; so that this plausible theory to be reduced to even 
a most precarious practice, requires more skill, care, labor 
and time, than are necessary to manage the ordinary swarm- 
ing hives. 

The failure of so many attempts to increase colonies by 
artificial means, as well in the hands of scientific and expe- 
rienced Apiarians, as under the direction of those who are 
almosl totally ignorant of the physiology of the bee, has led 
many to prefer to use non-swarming hives. In such hives, 
very large harvests of honey are often obtained from a pow-. 
erful stock of bees ; but it is very evident that if the increase 
of new colonies were entirely discouraged, the insect would 
soon be exterminated. To prevent this, the advocates of the 
non-swarming plan, must either have their bees swarm, to 
some extent, or rely upon those who do. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 179 

My hive may be used as a non-swarmer, and may be 
made more effectually to prevent swarming, than any with 
which I am acquainted : as in the Spring, (See No. 34. p. 
105,) ample accommodations may be given to the bees, be- 
low their main works, and when this is seasonably done, 
swarming will very seldom take place. 

During the Summer of 1855, I pursued a course of ex- 
periments to test the feasibility of preventing bees from 
swarming in my hives, by adjusting the blocks controlling 
the entrance, so as to admit a loaded worker, and yet con- 
fine the Queen. The plan promises to be attended with 
complete success. If on further trial it is found to be em- 
barrassed by no unexpected difficulties, results of great prac- 
tical importance will flow from it. The Apiarian who wish- 
es to be absent at any lime, may easily adjust the entrance 
blocks, so as to prevent the bees from swarming while he is 
away ; swarming on Sunday may be effectually stopped, 
and any hive may, in a few moments, be changed from a 
swarmer into a non-swarmer. 

There are certain objections however, which must always 
prevent the non-swarming plan from being the most success- 
ful mode of managing bees. To say nothing of the loss to 
the bee-keeper, who has, after some years, only one stock, 
when if the natural mode of increase had been allowed, he 
ought to have a number, it is usually found that after bees 
have been kept in a non-swarming hive for several seasons, 
they seem to work with much less vigor than usual. Of 
this, any one may convince himself, who will compare the 
industrious working of a new swarm, with that of a much 
more powerful stock in a non-swarming hive. The former 
will work with such astonishing zeal, that to one unacquaint- 
ed with the facts, it would be taken to be by far the more 
powerful stock. 



180 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

As the fertility of the Queen decreases by age, the disad- 
vantage of using non-swarming hives of the ordinary con- 
struction, will be obvious. This objection to the system can 
be remedied in my hive, as the old Queen can be easily 
caught and removed ; but when hives are used in which this 
cannot be done, the Apiary, instead of containing a race of 
young Queens in the full vigor of their reproductive powers, 
will contain many that have passed their prime, and these 
old Queens may die when there are no eggs in the hive to 
enable the bees to replace them, and thus the whole colony 
will perish. 

If the bee-keeper wishes to winter only a certain number 
of stocks, I will, in another place, show him a way in which 
this can be done, so as to obtain more honey from them, 
than from an equal number kept on the non-swarming plan, 
while at the same time, they may all be maintained in a state 
of the highest health and vigor. 

I shall now describe a method of artificial swarming, 
which may be successfully practiced with almost any hive, 
by those who have sufficient experience in the management 
of bees. 

About the time that natural swarming may be expected, 
a populous hive, rich in stores is selected, and what I shall 
call a forced swarm is obtained from it, by the following pro- 
cess. Choose that part of a pleasant day, say from 10 A. 
M. to 2 P. M., when the largest number of bees are abroad 
in the fields ; if any bees are clustered in front of the hive, 
or on the bottom-board, puff among them a few whiffs of 
smoke from burning rags or paper, or better still from punk 
or rotten wood, so as to force them to go up among the 
combs. This can be done with greater ease, if the hive is 
tipped back, or elevated, by small wedges, about one quar- 
ter of an inch above the bottom-board. Have an empty 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 181 

hive or box in readiness, the diameter of which is as nearly 
as possible, the same with that of the hive from which you 
intend to drive the swarm. Lift the hive very gently, and 
without ^he slightest jar, from its bottom-board ; invert it, and 
carry it in the same careful manner, about a rod from its old 
stand, as bees are always m.uch more inclined to be peace- 
able, when removed a short distance, than when any opera- 
tion is performed on the familiar spot. If the hive is care- 
fully placed on the ground, upside down, scarcely a single 
bee will fly out, and there will be little danger of being 
stung. Timid and inexperienced Apiarians will, of course, 
protect themselves with a bee-dress, and they may have an 
assistant to sprinkle the hive gently with sugar-water, or blow 
a little more smoke into it, as soon as it is inverted. After 
placing the hive in an inverted position on the ground, the 
empty hive, or box must be put over it, and every crack from 
which a bee might escape, must be carefully closed with pa- 
per or any convenient material. The upper hive if smooth 
inside should be furnished with two or three slats, about an 
inch and a half wide, and fastened one third of the distance 
from the top, so as to help the bees to cluster. 

As soon as the Apiarian is perfectly sure that the bees 
cannot escape, he should place an empty hive upon the stand 
from which they were removed, so that the multitudes which 
return from the fields may enter it, instead of dispersing to 
other hives, where some of them might meet with a very un- 
kind reception ; although, as a general rule, a bee with a 
load of freshly gathered honey, after the extent of his re- 
sources is ascertained, is almost always welcomed by any 
hive to which he may carry his treasures; while a poor un- 
fortunate that ventures to present himself empty and poverty 
stricken, is generally at once destroyed ! The one meets 
with as friendly a reception as a wealthy gentleman who 
16 



182 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

proposes to take up his abode in a country village, while the 
other is as much an object of dislike as a pauper who is sus- 
pected of designing to become a parish charge ! 

To return to our imprisoned bees. Beginning at the top, 
or what is now, (as the hive is upside down,) the bottom, 
their hive should be beaten smartly with the palms of the 
hands, or two small rods, on the sides to which the combs are 
attached, so as to run no risk of loosening them. These 
" rappings," which certainly are not of a very " spiritual '' 
character, produce, nevertheless, a most decided effect upon 
the bees ; their first impulse is to sally out, and wreak their 
vengeance upon those who have thus rudely assailed their 
honied dome ; but as soon as they find that they are shut in, 
a sudden fear that they are to be driven from their treasures, 
seems to take possession of them. Determined to prepare 
for this v/rit of ejection so suddenly served upon them, and 
to carry off with them all that they can, each bee proceeds 
at once to lay in a supply, and in about five minutes they 
are all filled to their utmost capacity. A prodigious hum- 
ming is now heard, and the bees begin to mount into the 
upper box. In about fifteen minutes from the time the rap- 
ping began, which ought to be continued with slight inter- 
missions, the mass of the bees, with iheir queen, will have 
ascended, and will hang clustered, just like a natural swarm. 
The box with the expelled bees must now be gently lifted 
off, and should be placed upon a bottom-board with a gauze- 
wire ventilator, if the bees are to be confined for any con- 
siderable lime, so that they may have plenty of air. 
If no gauze wire bottom-board is at hand, the box must 
be wedged up, so as to admit an abundance of air, and be 
set in a shady place ; or it may be put upon a sheet or cloth 
and carefully reversed, when this is is securely fastened. 

The hive from which the bees were driven, must now be 



ABTIFICIAL SWARMING. 18S 

set, without crushing any of them, upon its old spot, in the 
place of the decoy hive, so that all the bees which have 
returned from abroad, may enter. Before this change is 
made, these bees will be running in and out of the empty 
hive, in a state of the greatest distraction, but as soon as the 
opportunity is given them, they will crowd into their well- 
known home, and if there are no royal ceils started, will 
proceed, almost at once, to construct them, and the next day 
they will act as though the forced swarm had left of its own 
accord. When the operation is delayed until about the 
season for natural swarming, the hive will contain immature 
queens, if the bees were intending to swarm, and a new 
queen will soon take the place of the old one, just as in nat- 
ural swarming. If it is performed too early, and before the 
drones have made their appearance, the young queen will 
not be seasonably impregnated, and the parent stock must 
perish. As soon as the foraging bees have entered the hive, 
it should be removed to a new stand, and the entrance con- 
tracted to suit the reduced force of the colony. 

We return now to our forced swarm. The hive in which 
they are to be put should be all ready, according to the 
directions given in the previous chapter, and placed where 
the old colony stood, so that the bees may be shaken out 
from the box, upon a sheet, and made to enter it like a new 
swarm. They will at once proceed to work with as much 
vigor as though they had swarmed in the natural way. 

It might seem as though this process would be much 
simpler if the neio hive was used for the decoy hive, and the 
old one carried to its new location as soon as the forced 
swarm was made. But such a procedure would almost ruin 
the old colony. Unless a very large number of bees were left 
in it, nearly all of them, when they camer out to work, would 
return to the old stand and join the new colony there, and 



184 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

thus the parent stock would be so depopulated that many of 
the young would perish for want of suitable attention. It 
is a well ascertained fact that bees, when their hive is 
moved to a new spot, or when they are forcibly expelled 
from it, do not adhere to the new place, as they always do 
when they swarm of their own accord. In each case, it is 
true, that as soon as a bee leaves its new place, it flies with 
its head turned towards the hive, in order to mark the sur- 
rounding objects, that it may be able to return to the same 
spot ; but when they have not emigrated of their own free 
will, many of them, when they rise into the air, or return 
from their work, unless removed to a distance beyond the 
limits of their previous excursions, seem entirely to forget 
that their location has been changed ; they return to the 
place where they have lived so long, and often die on the 
deserted, yet home-like spot. When they swarm of their 
own accord, they seldom, if ever, make such a mistake. It 
may be truly said that 

<•' A ' bee removed' against his will, 
Is of the same opinion still." 

Scientific Apiarians have for some years been largely 
and laboriously experimenting, to ascertain how, if pos- 
sible, to make a forced swarm, or a colony whose posi- 
tion has been changed, adhere just like a natural swarm to 
their new location. Soaae recommend subjecting the ex- 
pelled bees, for a minute, to a bath of lukewarm water, and 
then letting them, when they recover in the sun, crawl into 
their new hive. I have tried this, but without success. 
Others carry the bees a considerable distance from home, 
remove their queen, and make them take wing and cluster 
around her, just like a natural swarm. This involves too 
much labor. I havo, in my experiments on this point, made a 
discovery which I turn to very important uses ; having as- 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 185 

certained that nearly all the bees which have entered the 
decoy hive, if now presented with their own, will adhere tO' 
it, even when its location is changed ! It is a well known fact 
that if a hive is removed when many workers are abroad', 
the returning bees will often alight upon a neighboring hive, 
and if well received, will not again return to their former 
stand. The temporary loss of their old home is followed by a 
distraction which appears to make such a permanent im- 
pression upon them, that they are just as careful as a 
natural swarm to mark their new location. By availing myself 
of this discovery, I am able to simplif}^ very much the whole 
method of artificial swarming. 

In forcing a swarm, I have recommended that the opera- 
tion should be performed at an hour when a large number of 
the workers are abroad, in order to secure them to carry on 
the labors of the parent stock, when it is removed to a new 
place. Many bee-keepers, however, may find it mo&t con- 
venient to make their swarms early in the morning, before 
the bees are actively at work. In this case either the new 
swarm, or the old stock may be carried to the distance of 
a mile from their previous stand, care being taken to leave 
bees enough in the parent hive to develop the brood. If about 
one-quarter of the bees are left in it, the supply will be 
.ample ; larger than is usually left by the bees when they 
swarm naturally. If the bee-keeper intends to remove 
either the old or new colony, and the number of bees in the 
former is too small, he may easily reinforce it by placing, 
the old hive on its former stand, shaking out the bees on a 
sheet from the box into which they have been drummed', 
and propping up the box to let them enter it again. Many 
of them will take wing and return to their old home. If 
enough do not take wing, when most of the bees have 
entered the box, the sheet with some adhering to it, may be 
16* 



186 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

carried to the mouth of the old hive, and they will readily 
enter it. 

It may often be convenient to make swarms early in the 
morning, by those who wish to have them remain on their 
own premises. In this case the decoy hive must stand on 
the old spot, and a suitable number of bees be made to 
enter it in the way just described. These bees will in a 
short time miss their queen, and begin to run in great con- 
fusion in and out and over the hive, and many of them to 
take wing. The parent hive must now be presented to 
them, and when they have entered, it must be removed to a 
new place, and the forced swarm hived and returned to the 
old stand. 

In performing these various operations it is very desirable, 
especially if there are several old swarms in the apiary, 
standing close together, that the decoy hive, and that for the 
new swarm, should be of the same shape and even color 
with the hive which is to be forced. If they are very 
unlike, the returning bees will often prefer to enter an ad- 
joining hive that looks more like their old home. If they 
attempt to do this, the neighboring hives should have sheets 
thrown over them to hide them from the bees until the 
operation is completed. 

The directions which have here been given for the forma- 
tion of artificial swarms, will be found to differ, in some 
important respects, from any which have been previously 
given, either by other writers, or in my former treatise, and 
to be so simple that any one accustomed to handle bees can 
very easily follow them. By means of them, any apiarian, 
let him use what kind of hive he pleases, can make himself 
entirely independent of natural swarming. 

It will be obvious, however, that this whole process of 
artificial swarming, in order to be successfully performed, 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 187 

requires a knowledge of the most important points in the 
economy of the bee-hive ; indeed, the same remark may be 
made of almost any operation, and those who are willing to 
remain ignorant of the laws which regulate the breeding of 
bees, ought not to depart in the least from the old-fashioned 
mode of management. All such deviations will only be 
attended with a wanton sacrifice of bees. A man may use 
the common swarming hives a whole life-time, and yet 
remain ignorant of the very first principles in the physiology 
of the bee, unless he gains his information from other 
sources ; while, by the use of my hives, any intelligent 
cultivator may, in a single season, verify for himself, the 
discoveries which have only been made by the accumulated 
toil of many observers, for more than two thousand years. 
The ease with which Apiarians may now, by the sight of 
their own eyes, gain a knowledge of all the important facts 
in the economy of the hive, should stimulate them most pow- 
erfully, to study the nature of the bee, and thus to prepare 
themselves for an enlightened system of management. 

I doubt not that most bee-keepers, on reading this mode 
of creating new colonies, will be ready to object that it not 
only requires more skill, but more labor than to allow them 
to swarm, and then to hive them in the old fashioned way. 

By the aid of the movable comb hive artificial swarming 
may be most expeditiously performed. An empty hive with its 
frames properly arranged must be in readiness to receive the 
new swarm (See p. 156-7). After removing the parent hive a 
short distance, and puttingthe decoy hive on its stand, the cov- 
er should be taken off, and the bees by a quick motion or jerk, 
shaken from the frames on a sheet directly in front of the 
new hive.* As fast as a comb is deprived of its bees it 

♦Full directions will be given further on in this chapter for opening 
hives and removinff combs. 



188 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

should be returned to the hive. One or two combs contain- 
ing brood, eggs and stores, should be put into the new hive, 
to give ihem greater encouragement to begin their labors and 
to prevent the necessity of feeding them if the weather 
should be unfavorable after hiving. In removing the frames 
with the bees, I always look for the Queen, and if I see her, 
as I generally do, I place the frame on which she is, in the 
new hive, without shaking off the bees. If I do not see her 
on the combs I seldom fail to notice her as she is shaken on 
the sheet and crawls towards the hive. In dislodging the bees 
upon the sheet, I do not shake them all off from the frames; 
but leave about one quarter of them on, and return them with 
the combs to the old hive. The queen is seldom left on 
the frame after it has been shaken so that the larger portion 
of the bees fall off. As soon as the operation is completed, 
and the necessary number of bees have been transferred to 
the new hive, the parent stock should be put upon the old 
stand to catch up the returning bees, and then set in a new 
place. The new hive containing the artificial swarm should 
be returned to the old stand. If the swarm is made when 
but few bees are abroad, the same precautions must be used 
that have already been described, to secure a proper allowance 
of bees which will adhere to the parent stock when it is re- 
moved to a new location. Or, either the old or new stock 
may be removed to the distance of a mile, and the other put 
in the old place. If the Apiarian is so situated that he can 
cheaply and conveniently carry off one of the colonies, he 
will find this to be altogether the easiest mode of manage- 
ment. I have found that when forage is abundant near the 
Apiary, it will answer all practical purposes to remove the 
bees about half a mile from their former home. 

If the Queen is not seen in the process of forming a new 
colony, it may be certainly ascertained, in from five to fif- 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMmO. 189 

teen minutes, whether she is with them or not. If she is 
not in the hive, as soon as the bees have entered and begin 
to cluster, they search for her, and, in a short time, a few 
will come out and run round, acting evidently as though 
they had lost something, and were looking for it. The alarm 
will now be rapidly communicated to the whole colony ; the 
number of explorers will rapidly increase, the ventilators will 
suspend operations, and soon the air will be filled with bees. 
If they cannot find the queen, they will return to the spot 
where the old hive stood, and if no hive is there, will enter 
one of the adjoining colonies. If their queen is presented to 
them before they have gone back to their former location, 
those running out of the hive, will make a half circle, and 
return ; the joyful news will, in a moment, be communicated 
to those on the wing, and they will forthwith alight and enter 
the hive ; all appearance of agitated running on the outside 
of the hive will cease, and ventilation with its joyful hum will 
be again resumed. If the Apiarian wishes to witness these 
wonderful proceedings he has only to catch the queen and 
hold her in his hand, until the bees show by their actions that 
they miss her. If the bees remain quiet for about fifteen 
minutes, in the new hive, the queen is certainly w^ith them. 
Bees which miss their queen under such circumstances, will 
accept of any one that may be offered to them, and may of- 
ten be pacified with brood-comb from which they can raise 
another. If the Apiarian in making his artificial swarm does 
not see the queen, he must wait until the bees show by theiir 
conduct whether she is with them or not. If they begin to 
leave the hive in the agitated manner above described, the 
entrance must be closed to confine them, until the old hive 
can be examined again, and the queen secured. 

If the attempt is made to pacify the new colony with brood 
comb from which they can raise a queen, they will fill their 



190 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

hive with comb unfit for rearing workers, besides being so 
long before they can have additions to their numbers, as to 
be of little if any value. (See p. 175.) 

By making a few forced swarms, about a week or ten 
days before the time in which the most should be made, the 
Apiarian may be sure of having an abundance of sealed 
queens almost mature, so that every swarm may have one. 
If he can give each hive that needs it, an unhatched queen, 
without removing her from her frame, so much the better ; 
bui if he has not enough frames with sealed queens, while 
some of them contain two or more queens, he must proceed 
as follows. 

With a very sharp knife, carefully cut out a queen cell, 
on a piece of comb an inch or more square ; cut a place in 
one of the combs of the hive to which this cell is to be given, 
just about large enough to receive it in a natural position, 
and if it is not secure, with a feather, put a little melted wax, 
where the edges meet. The bees will soon fasten it, so as 
to make all right. Unless very great care is used in trans- 
ferring these royal cells, the enclosed queens will be de- 
stroyed, as their bodies, until they are nearly mature, are so 
exceedingly soft, that a very slight compression of their 
cell often kills them. For this reason,! prefer not to remove 
them, until they are within three or four days of hatching. 
As the forcing of a swarm may always be conducted, whh 
my hives, in such a manner that the Apiarian can be sure to 
effect a suitable division of the bees, the process may be 
performed at any time when the sun is above the horizon, 
and the weather is not too unpleasant. It ought not to be 
attempted when the weather is so cool as to endanger the 
destruction of the brood by a chill ; and never unless when 
there is not only sufficient light to enable the Apiarian to 
see distinctly, but enough for the bees that take wing, to see 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 191 

the hive, and direct their flight to its entrance. If hives are 
meddled with when it is dark, the bees are always more 
irascible, and as they cannot see where to fly, they will con- 
stantly be alighting upon the person of the bee-keeper, who 
will be almost sure to receive some stings. I have seldom 
attempted night work upon my bees without having occasion 
most thoroughly to rue my folly. If the weather is not too 
cool, early in the morning, before the bees are stirring, will 
generally be the best time for operations, as there will be 
less danger of annoyance from robber-bees. 

If honey- water is used instead of sugar-water or smoke, 
in sprinkling the bees when the hive is first opened, the 
smell will be almost certain to entice marauders from other 
hives, to attempt to take possession of treasures which do 
not belong to them, and when they once commence such a 
pilfering course of life, they w\\\ be very loth to lay it aside. 
When the honey harvest is abundant, (and this is the very time 
for forcing swarms,) bees, with proper precautions, are sel- 
dom inclined to rob. I have sometimes found it difficult to 
induce them to notice honey-combs which I wished them to 
empty, even when they were placed in an exposed situation. 
This subject, however, will be more fully treated in the 
remarks on Robbing. 

Perhaps some of my readers will hardly be able to con- 
vince themselves that bees may be dealt with after the sum- 
mary fashion I have been describing, without becoming 
greatly enraged ; so far is this from being the case, that in 
my operations I often use neither smoke, sugar-water nor bee- 
dress, although I do not recommend the neglect of such pre- 
cautions. 

The artificial swarm may be created with perfect safety, 
even at mid-day, when thousands of bees are returning to 
the hive ; for these bees being laden with honey, never 



192 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

venture upon making an attack, while those at home may be 
easily pacified. 

I find a very great advantage in the peculfar shape of my 
hive, vsrhich allovi's the top to be easily removed, and the 
sugar-water to be sprinkled upon the bees, before they 
attempt to take wing. If, like the Dzierzon hive, it opened on 
the end, it would be impossible for me to use the sweetened 
water, so as to make it run down between all the ranges of 
comb, and I should be forced, as he does, to employ smoke 
in all my operations. The use of smoke alarms the bees 
very much, and frequently causes the queen to leave the 
comb for greater security. This often causes much annoy- 
ance and great delay in the formation of artificial swarms, 
and in all operations where it is desirable to catch the 
queen, or to examine her upon the comb. 

Huber thus speaks of the pacific effect produced upon the 
bees by the use of his leaf hive. " On opening the hive, 
no stings are to be dreaded, for one of the most singular and 
valuable properties attending my construction, is its ren- 
dering the bees tractable. I ascribe their tranquility to the 
manner in which they are affected by the sudden admission 
of light ; they appear rather to testify fear than anger. 
Many retire, and entering the cells, seem to conceal them- 
selves." I will admit that Huber has here fallen into an 
error which he would not have made, had he used his own 
eyes. The bees are indeed bewildered by the sudden ad- 
mission of light, and unless provoked by a sudden jar, or 
the breath of the operator, they enter the cells, but not " to 
conceal themselves ;" they imagine that their sweets, thus 
unceremoniously exposed to the light of day, are to be 
taken from them, and they gorge themselves almost to 
bursting, in order to save all that they can. I always 
expect them to appropriate the contents of the open cells. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 193 

as soon as I remove their frames from the hive. It is not 
merely the sudden admission of light, but its introduction 
from an unexpected quarter^ that for the time disarms the 
hostility of the bees. They appear for a few moments 
almost as much confounded as we should be, if, without any 
warning, the roof and ceiling of our house should suddenly 
fly off into the air. Before they recover from their amaze- 
ment, the sweet libation is poured out upon them, and sur- 
prise is quickly converted into pleasure rather than anger ; 
or they are saluted with a puff of smoke, which, by alarm- 
ing them for the safety of their treasures, induces them to 
snatch whatever they can. In the working season, almost 
all the bees near the lop are gorged with honey, and this is 
another reason why opening the hive from above is so easily 
effected. The bees below that are disposed to resent any 
intrusions, are met in their threatening ascent with an ava- 
lanche of nectar, which, like " a soft answer," most effectu- 
ally " turneth away wrath ;" or if the case requires, by a 
harmless smoke, which excites their fears, but leaves no 
unpleasant smell behind. No genuine lover of bees ought 
ever to use the sickening fumes of the disgusting weed. 

In managing bees, the greatest care should be taken to 
repress at once, by the sweetened water or smoke, the very 
first manifestations of anger. Bees communicate their sen- 
sations to each other with almost magic celerity, and in a 
moment the whole colony will catch the pleased or subdued 
notes uttered by a few, or will be roused to fury by the 
shrill note of anger from even a single bee. When once 
thoroughly excited, it will be found almost impossible to 
subdue them, and the unfortunate experimenter, if inexpe- 
rienced, may be inclined to abandon the attempt in despair. 
That bees are not prepared to make an instant assault from 
the top of their hive, but only near the entrance, may be 
17 



194 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

ascertained by any one who will put my frames into a sus" 
pended hive, with a movable bottom made to drop at pleas- 
ure. If now, for any purpose, he attempts to meddle with 
the combs from below, he will find that unless he uses 
smoke, the bees will be almost, if not quite, unmanageable. 

I shall now furnish some directions which will greatly 
assist the Apiarian in his operations. He must bear in mind 
that nothing irritates bees more than a sudden jar, or breath- 
ing upon them, and these must in all cases be most carefully 
avoided. Every motion should be gentle and deliberate, 
and no attempt whatever should be made to strike at them. 
If inclined to be cross, they will resent even a quick point- 
ing at them with the finger, darting upon it, and leaving 
their slings behind. A novice or a person liable to be stung, 
will of course protect his face and hands, in the manner 
hereafter to be described. 

To open one of my hives, first blow a very little smoke 
into one of the holes of the board which covers the frames, 
and on which the receptacles for surplus honey stand. This 
board should now be loosened with a thin knife, or what is 
better, an apothecary's spatula, which will be useful for 
many purposes in the Apiary. When the honey-board is 
removed, its lower surface will be usually covered with 
bees, and it should be carefully set on end, so as not to 
crush them. There is not the least danger of their offering 
to sting, as they are completely bewildered by the sudden 
introduction of light, and their removal from the hive. As 
soon as the cover is disposed of, the Apiarian should sprinkle 
the bees with the sweet solution. This should descend from 
the watering-pot in a fine stream, so as not to drench the 
bees, and should fall upon the tops of the frames, as well as 
between the ranges of comb. The bees will at once accept 
the proffered treat, and begin lapping it up, as peaceably as 



AETIFICIAL SWARMING. 195 

SO many chickens helping themselves to corn. While they 
are thus engaged, the frames must be very gently pried by 
a stick, from their attachments to the rabbets on which they 
rest ; this may be done without any injurious jar, and with- 
out wounding or enraging a single bee, as the rabbets are 
made wide enough to admit the stick behind the shoulders 
of the frames, so that they can be pried from the rear to the 
front. If the rabbets were just wide enough to receive the 
shoulders of the frames, it would be necessary, in loosening 
the frames, to pry them laterally or towards each other, by 
which they might be brought so close together, as to crush 
the bees, injure the brood, disfigure the combs, or even kill 
the queen. The frames may all be loosened, preparatory to 
removing them, in less than a minute.* By this time, the 
sprinkled bees will have filled themselves, or if all have not 
done so, the grateful intelligence that sweets have been 
furnished them, will diffuse an unusual good nature through 
all the honied realm. The Apiarian should now gently push 
the third comb from one of the ends, a little nearer to the 
fourth one ; and then the second one as near as he can to 
the third one, so as to get ample room to lift out the end 
comb without crushing it or injuring any of the bees. To 
remove the end or outside comb, take hold of its two shoul- 
ders which rest upon the rabbets, and carefully lift it without 
letting it touch the sides of the hive so as to crush the bees. 
Tn the same way, if it is desired to remove any particular 
frame, room must be gained by pushing away from it 
the adjoining frames on each side. As bees usually build 
their combs slightly waving, it will be found impossible 

* Before I discovered the efficacy of smoke or sweetened water, I 
have often spent more than ten minutes in opening and shutting a 
single frame in the Huber hive, and even then have crushed some of 
the bees. 



196 AKTinCIAL SWARMING. 

safely to remove a frame, without making room for it in the 
way just described. In handling the frames, be careful no^ 
to incline them from their perpendicular, or the combs will 
be liable to break and fall out from their own weight. 

If the combs are all to be examined, proceed as follows : 
After lifting out the outside frame, set it carefully on end, 
near the hive. The second comb may now be easily 
moved towards the vacant space, and lifted out. After ex- 
amination, put it in the place of the comb just removed. 
In the same way examine the third comb, and put it in place 
of the second one, and so proceed until all have been 
examined. If the bees are to be removed, they must of 
course be shaken off on a sheet, as previously described. 
If the comb first taken out will fit, it may be put in the 
vacant space now remaining ; if it will not fit, the combs 
must be slid on the rabbets into their former places, begin- 
ning with the last one examined, and the comb taken out 
may then be returned to its old positron. 

The inexperienced operator, on examining a hive, and 
seeing that some small pieces of comb have been made 
between the outside of the frames and the sides of the hive, 
or that the upper part of the combs are fastened slightly 
together, will often imagine that the frames cannot be 
removed at all. Such slight attachments, however, offer no 
practical difficulty to their removal. The great point to be 
gained is to secure a single comb on each frame. This I 
have effected after many experiments, and the device may 
be applied to any hive, so that the expense of a few cents 
will always secure straight combs. This invention alone 
will, I am confident, be worth the cost of my patent to any 
one who keeps a few stocks of bees. 

If bees were disposed to fly away at once from their 
combs, as soon as Ihey were taken out, it would be very 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 197 

difficult to manage them, but so far are they from doing this, 
that ihey adhere to them with most wonderful tenacity. 
All the combs may be removed and arranged in a continued 
line, and the bees will not only refuse to leave them, but 
will stoutly defend them against the thieving propensities of 
other bees. By shaking the bees from the combs upon a 
sheet, and securing the queen, I can, on any pleasant day, 
exhibit nearly all the appearances of natural swarming. 
The bees, as soon as they miss their queen, will rise into the 
air, and by placing her on the twig of a tree, they will soon 
cluster around her in the manner already described. 

A word as to the manner of catching the queen. I seize 
her very gently, as I espy her among the bees, and by taking 
care to crush none of them, run not the least risk of being 
stung. The queen herself never slings, even if handled 
ever so roughly. When closely confined in the hand, she 
will often bite the operator, so as to cause some slight un^ 
easiness. If she is to be kept for some considerable time 
from her colony, I usually place her in a small piece of 
paper, folded like a funnel, the ends being twisted together. 
She can be easily taken from this whenever she is needed. 
It is perfectly amazing to see how soon a queen will fail, and 
die for want of food when taken from the bees. If absent 
from them not more than fifteen minutes, she will solicit 
honey when returned. If she is to be kept away an hour 
or more, she must be fed, or a few bees put with her to 
supply her wants. 

In removing the frames from the hive, it will be found 
very convenient to have an empty hive into which they may 
be temporarily put, and covered over with a piece of cotton 
cloth. They may thus be very easily protected from the 
cold, and from robbing bees, if they are to be kept out of 
the hive for some time ; and such a hive will be very con- 
17* 



198 AKTinCIAL SWARMING. 

venient to receive frames that are lifted out for examination. 
In returning the frames to a hive, care must be taken not to 
crush the bees where their ends rest upon the rabbets ; they 
must be put in very slowly, so that a bee, when he feels the 
slightest pressure, may have a chance to creep from under 
them before he is hurt. 

When the hive is to be shut up again, the surplus honey- 
board must not be laid down over the frames, as this might 
crush some of the bees. It should be very carefully slid 
on, so that any bees which are in the way may be pushed 
before it, instead of being crushed. A beginner will find it 
to his advantage to practice the directions which I have 
given for opening and shutting hives, and lifting out the frames, 
with an empty hive, until he is confident that he fully under- 
stands them. If any bees are upon such parts of the hive 
as to be imprisoned, if the outside cover is closed, it should 
be propped up a little, until they have flown to the entrance 
of the hive. 

It cannot be too deeply impressed upon the bee-keeper, 
that all his motions must be slow and gentle, and that the 
bees must not be injured or breathed upon. If he will care- 
fully follow the directions I have given, he may soon open a 
hundred hives, and perform any necessary operation upon 
them, without any bee-dress, and yet with very little risk of 
being stung. But I almost despair of being able to con- 
vince even the most experienced Apiarians of the ease and 
safety with which bees may be managed on my plan, until 
they have actually been eye-witnesses of its successful 
operation. 

1 can make an artificial colony in ten minutes from the 
time that I open the hive, and if I see the queen as quickly 
as I often do, in not more than five minutes. Ffteen minutes 
will be a very liberal average allow^ance of time to an expert. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 199 

to complete the whole work. If I had an Apiary of a hun- 
dred colonies, in less than a week, if the weather was pleas- 
ant, I could by devoting to them a few hours every day, 
without any asssistance, easily finish the business of swarm- 
ing for the whole season. 

But how can the Apiarian, if he delays the formation of 
artificial swarms until near the season for natural swarm- 
ing, be sure that his bees will not swarm in the usual way ? 
Must he not still be constantly on hand, or run the risk of 
losing many of his best swarms ? I come now to the entirely 
novel plans by which such objections are completely 
obviated. 

If the Apiarian decides that he can most advantageously 
multiply his colonies by artificial swarming, he may deprive 
all his fertile queens of their wings, so that they can not lead 
off new swarms. As an old queen never leaves the hive 
except to accompany a new swarm, the loss of her wings 
does not, in the least interfere with her usefulness, or with 
the attachment of the bees. Occasionally, a wingless queen 
is so bent on emigrating, that in spite of her inability to fly, 
she tries to go off with a swarm ; she has " a will," but con- 
trary to the old maxim, she can find "no way," but helplessly 
falls upon the ground, instead of gaily mounting into the air. 
If the bees succeed in finding her, they will never desert 
her, but cluster directly around her, and may thus be easily 
secured by the Apiarian. If she is not found, the bees wilt 
return to the parent stock to await the maturity of the young 
queens. As soon as the piping of the first hatched queen is 
heard, (p. 149,) the Apiarian may force his swarm in the 
mannner previously described ; unless he prefers, (having 
fair warning of their intentions,) to allow them to swarm in 
the natural way. The large number of queens in such 
a hive, nearly ready to hatch, may be very advantageously 
used at the swarming season. 



200 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

The following is the best plan for removing the wings from 
the queens : Every hive containing a young queen should be 
examined about a week after she has hatched, (see Chapter 
on Loss of Queen,) in order to ascertain that she has been 
impregnated, and has begun to lay eggs. Some of the 
central combs or those on v*rhich the bees are most thickly 
clustered, should be first lifted out, for she will almost always 
be found on one of them ; the Apiarian when he has caught 
her, should remove the wings on one side with a pair of 
scissors, taking care not to hurt her. On examining his hives 
next season, let him remove one of the two remaining wings 
from the queen. The third season, he may deprive her of 
her last wing. Bees always have four wings, a pair on each 
side. By this plan he will always know the age of a queen, 
as soon as he sees her. 

As the fertility of the queen generally decreases after the 
second year, I prefer, just before the drones are destroyed, 
to kill all the old queens that have entered their third year. 
In this way, I guard against some of my stocks becoming 
queenless, in consequence of the queen dying of old age, 
when there is no worker-brood in the hive, from which they 
can rear another ; or of having a worthless, drone-laying 
queen whose impregnation has been retarded. These old 
queens are removed at a period of the year when their colony 
is strong in numbers ; and as the honey-harvest is by this 
time, nearly over, their removal is often a positive benefit, 
instead of a loss. The population is prevented from being 
over crowded at a time when the bees are consumers and 
not producers, and when the young queen, reared in the 
place of the old one, matures, she will rapidly fill the cells 
with eggs, and raise a large number of bees to take advan- 
tage of the late honey -harvest, and to prepare the hive to 
winter most advantageously. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING 201 

In regions however, where the bees are apt to gather an 
excess of bee-bread, a young queen, or a sealed one nearly- 
mature, should be given to them, the second day after the 
removal of the old one. Otherwise, the cells may be so filled 
with pollen, as to leave but little room for new brood. A 
very strong stock, if deprived of their queen, in the height 
of the honey harvest, and compelled to rear another from the 
egg, will often fill nearly every cell with honey or pollen, 
before she is prepared to lay. I have occasionally known 
hives, in a very productive season, when left to themselves, 
to fill nearly all their combs with honey. The consequences 
can be easily seen. But few bees can be reared in the latter 
part of the season, and when Winter sets in, the colony will 
be so reduced in numbers, that it cannot maintain heat 
enough to keep it alive. I have just been examining some 
of my stocks which are in this condition, (July 1856,) and 
removing some of the full combs, so as to get room for four 
or five empty frames in the center of the hive. These will 
at once be supplied with comb, and the queen will fill them 
with eggs. This evil can not easily be remedied in hives 
which do not give the control of the combs. A colony which 
thus perishes from excess of wealth, furnishes a very apt 
illustration of the condition of rich men, who are morally 
dead, from that icy coldness of the heart, engendered by the 
indulgence of their avaricious propensities. 

I shall now furnish another method of preventing swarming, 
which may sometimes be employed with very great advan- 
tage. The size of the queen bee is such that she can not 
pass through an opening 5-32ds of an inch high, which will 
just admit a loaded worker. If therefore, the entrance to 
the hive be contracted to this dimension, she will not be able 
to leave with a swarm. By cutting a depression of 5-32d3 
of an inch, on one surface of the blocks which regulate the 



202 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

entrance to my hive, or by beveling their edges, so that they 
can be slid under the entrance, just far enough to admit a 
loaded bee, I can, in a moment, adjust them so as to confine 
the queen. By this arrangement all swarming on Sunday, 
or any other day, when the Apiarian does not desire it, may 
be prevented. 

This method of preventing swarming, requires great 
accuracy of measurement, for a very trifling deviation from 
the dimensions given, will either shut out the loaded workers, 
or let out the queen. It must only be employed to prevent 
first swarming, for if a young queen is confined to her hive, she 
cannot become fertile. The same method employed to con- 
fine a queen, will, in the Winter, exclude mice from the 
hive, if the blocks are confined so that they can not move 
them out of their places. 

Avery important use maybe made of blocks thus arranged, 
to get rid of the drones. In that part of the day when they 
are out in full flight, adjust the blocks so that they cannot 
enter. Towards dark, or early next morning, they will be 
found sprawled out upon the alighting board, or hanging in 
clusters under the portico, and may be brushed into a vessel 
of water and destroyed, or given to chickens, which can easily 
be taught to devour them. In a few days nearly all the 
drones in the Apiary, may be thus destroyed. This must 
not be attempted, however, in hives which contain a queen 
not yet impregnated, as it will prevent her either from com- 
ing out, or returning, if she has already left the hive, to meet 
the drones. 

The great importance of getting rid early in the season, 
of the excess of drones, must be obvious to any one who 
knows how few are needed in an Apiary, and how much 
honey is required to sustain such large corporations. Let 
the bee-keeper catch a few drones as they are issuing from 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMINa. 203 

the hive, and on tearing them in two, he will find that they 
always have quite a large drop of honey in their stomachs. 
Now let him catch and tear asunder those which are return- 
ing, and he will be surprised to see, that while on the wing, 
they have actually digested all this honey, and are going back 
for a new supply ! I have seen hives which have been so 
crowded with drones, that all the spare honey they could 
gather, was needed to feed them, and nothing remained for 
their owner. 

The experienced bee-keeper will be able by the use of 
movable-comb hives, so to repress the production of drones 
by removing the combs in which they are bred, that his hive 
will be much more productive in honey, than those where the 
drones are allowed to remain, or are killed after consuming 
much honey, and entailing much worse than useless labor 
upon the bees. If it were possible entirely to repress the 
production of drones, it would not be desirable, as some are 
needed in every Apiary, and the bees knowing this, would be 
very uneasy if prevented from raising any. When my blocks 
are used to prevent swarming entirely, it will be necessary to 
move them about an hour or two before sun-set, so that the 
bees may carry out any dead drones. They may again be 
adjusted to confine the queen, an hour or two after sun-rise 
the next morning. I do not feel that I have given this method 
of preventing swarming, such a full trial that T can confi- 
dently recommend it, unless for temporary purposes, 
although I have but little doubt that it will be found to 
prevent entirely the issue of a swarm. If so, it will be of 
vast importance to all who desire to keep non-swarming 
hives, and who are too timid or inexperienced to open a hive 
to cut off the wings of a queen, or to remove the queen cells. 

It may be found on further experiment, that the entrances 
to all the spare honey receptacles, may be so adjusted that 



204 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

the queen will never be able to enter them for the purpose of 
depositing eggs. This, and many other points of interest and 
importance, I have been prevented, by the state of my health, 
from testing this season, (1856.) 

The certainty, rapidity and ease, of making artificial 
swarms with my hives, amaze those most who have had the 
greatest experience and success in the management of bees. 
Instead of weeks wasted in watching the Apiary, in 
addition to all the other vexations and embarrassments 
which are so often found to attend reliance on natural swarm- 
ing, the Apiarian will find not only that he can create all his 
new colonies in a very short time, but that he can, if he 
chooses, entirely prevent the issue of all after-swarms. In 
order to do this, he ought to examine the stocks which are 
raising young queens, in season to cut out all the queen cells 
but one, before the larvse come to maturity. If he gave them 
a sealed queen nearly mature, they will raise no others, and 
no swarming, for that season, will take place. If the Apia- 
rian wishes to do more than to double his stocks in one season, 
and is favorably situated for practicing natural swarming, 
or for any reason prefers this mode of increasing his stocks, 
he can prevent all after-swarming by cutting out the excess 
of queen cells, or he can strengthen all the small swarms, by 
giving to them comb, with honey and maturing brood from 
other hives. 

I do not know that I can find a better place, in which to 
impress certain highly important principles upon the atten- 
tion of the bee-keeper. I am afraid that in spite of all that 
I can say, many persons, as soon as they find themselves able 
to multiply colonies at pleasure, will so overdo the matter, 
as to run the risk of losing all their bees. If the Apiarian 
aims at obtaining a large quantity of surplus honey in any 
one season, he cannot at the furthest, more than double the 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 205 

number of his stocks ; nor can he do this, unless they are all 
strong, and the season favorable. The moment that he aims, 
in any season not unusually favorable, at a more rapid in- 
crease, he must not only renounce the idea of having any 
surplus honey, but must expect to purchase food for the 
support of his colonies, unless he is willing to see them all 
perish by starvation. The time, food, care and skill required 
to multiply slock with very great rapidity, in our short and 
uncertain climate, are so great, that not one Apiarian in a 
hundred can expect to make it profitable ; while the great 
mass of those who attempt it, will be almost sure, at the close 
of the season, to find themselves in possession of stocks 
which have been so managed as to be of verj^ little value. 

Before explaining some other methods of artificial swarm« 
ing, which I have employed to great advantage, I shall 
endeavor to impress upon the mind of the bee-keeper, the 
great importance of thoroughly understanding, each season, 
the precise object at which he is aiming, before he enters 
on the work of increasing his colonies. If his object is, in 
any one season, to get the largest yield of surplus honey, he 
must at once make up his mind to be content with a moderate 
increase of stocks. If, on the contrary, he desires to mul- 
tiply his colonies, say, three or four fold, he must be pre- 
pared, not only to relinquish the expectation of obtaining 
any surplus honey, but, if the season should prove unfavor- 
able, to purchase food for the support of his bees. Rapid 
multiplication of colonies, and large harvests of surplus 
honey, cannot in the very nature of things, be secured in 
our climate, in any one season. 

If the number of colonies is to be increased to a large 

extent, then the bees in the Apiary will be tasked to the 

utmost in building new comb, as well as in rearing brood. 

For these purposes, they must consume the supply of honey 

18 



206 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

which, under other circumstances, they would have stored 
up, a part for their own use in the main hive, and the balance 
for their owner in the spare honey-boxes. 

To make this matter perfectly plain, let us suppose a 
colony to swarm. If the new hive, into which the swarm is 
put, holds, as it ought, about a bushel, it will require nearly 
two pounds of wax to fill it with comb, and forty pounds 
of honey will often be used in its manufacture ! If the 
season is favorable, and the swarm was large and early, they 
may gather, not only enough^to build this comb, and to store it 
with honey sufficient for their own use, but a number of pounds 
in addition, for the benefit of their owner. If the old stock 
does not swarm again, it will rapidly replenish its numbers, 
and as it has no nevv comb to build in the main hive, which 
already contains much honey, it will be able to store up a 
generous allowance in the upper boxes. These favorable re- 
sults are all on the supposition that the season was ordinarily 
productive in honey, and that the hive was so powerful in num- 
bers as to be able to swarm seasonably. If the season should 
prove to be unfavorable, the first swarm cannot be expected 
to gather more than enough for its own use, while the parent 
stock will yield only a small return. The profits of the 
bee-keeper, in such an unfortunate season, will be mainly in 
the increase of his stocks. If the swarm was late, in conse- 
quence of the stock being weak in Spring, the early part of 
the honey-harvest will pass away, and the bees will be 
able to obtain from it, but a small share of honey. During 
all this time of comparative inactivity, the orchards may 
present 

"One boundless blush, one white empurpled shower 
Of mingled blossoms," 

and tens of thousands of bees from stronger stocks, may be 
engaged all day in sipping the fragrant sweets, so that every 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 207 

gale which " fans its odoriferous wings " about their dwell- 
ings, dispenses 

"Native perfumes, and whispers whence they stole*- 
Those balmy spoils." 

By the time that the feeble stock is prepared to swarm, if 
it swarm at all that season, the honey-harvest is almost over, 
and the new colony will seldom be able to gather evea 
enough for its own use, so that unless fed, it must perish the 
succeeding Winter. Bee-keeping, with colonies feeble in the 
Spring, except in extraordinary seasons and locations, is 
most emphatically nothing but " folly and vexation of 
spirit.^' 

I have shown how the bee-keeper, with a strong stock- 
hive which has swarmed early, and but once, may in a favor- 
able season realize a handsome profit from his bees. If the 
parent stock throws a second swarm, then, as a general rule, 
unless this swarm was very early, and the honey season 
good, if managed on the ordinary plan, it will seldom prove 
of any value. It will almost always perish in the Winter, if 
it does not desert its hive in the Fall, and the family from 
which it issued, will not only gather no surplus honey, (un- 
less it was secured before the first swarm issued,) but will 
very often perish likewise. Thus the inexperienced owner 
who was so delighted with the rapid increase of his colonies, 
begins the next season with no more colonies than he had 
the year before, and has very often entirely lost all the time 
he has bestowed upon his bees. I can, to be sure, on my 
plan, prevent the death of the bees, and can build up all the 
feeble colonies, so as to make them strong and powerful ; 
but only by giving up all idea of obtaining a single pound of 

* The scent of the hives, during the height of the gathering season, 
will usually inform us from what sources the bees have gathered their 
supplies. 



208 AETIFICIAL SWARMIN©. 

fioney. From the flrst swarm I must take combs contaioing 
muturing brood, to strengthen my weak swarms, and this 
first swarm, however powerful or early, instead of being 
able to store its combs with honey, will be constantly tasked 
in building new combs to replace those taken away, so that 
when the honey harvest closes, it will have scarcely any 
honey, and must be fed to prevent it from starving. Any 
man who has sense enough to be entrusted with bees, can, 
from these remarks, understand exactly why it is impossible 
to multiply colonies rapidly m any ordinary season, and yet 
obtain from them large supplies of honey. Even the 
doubling of stocks in one season, will very often be too 
rapid an increase, if the greatest quantity of spare honey is 
to be obtained from them ; and when this is desired, I much 
prefer to form, in a way soon to be described, only one new 
stock from two old ones ; this will give even more honey 
from the three, than could have been obtained from the two, 
on the ordinary non-swarming plan. 

I would very strongly dissuade any but experienced 
Apiarians, from attempting, at the furthest, to do more than 
treble their stocks in one year. In order to furnish directions 
for very rapid multiplication, sufficiently full and explicit for 
the inexperienced, I should have to write a book on this one 
topic ; and even then, the most of those who should under- 
take it, would be sure at first to fail. 

I have no doubt that with ten strong stocks of bees in a 
good location, in movable-comb hives, in one favorable 
season, I could so increase them as to have, on the approach 
of Winter, one hundred good colonies : but I should expect 
to feed hundreds of pounds of honey, to devote nearly all 
my time to their management, and to bring to the work, the 
experience of many years, and the judgment acquired by 
numerous failures. After all, what we most need, in order 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 209 

to be successful in the cultivation of bees, is a certain^ rather 
than a rapid, multiplication of stocks. A single colony 
doubling every year would in ten years increase to 1024 
stocks, and in twenty years to over a million ! It would 
require, therefore, but a very few years to stock our whole 
country with bees, if colonies could only be doubled annu- 
ally ; and an increase of even one-third, would before long, 
give us bees enough. This rate of increase I should always 
encourage in the swarming season, even if, in the Fall, I 
reduced my slocks (see Union of Stocks) to the Spring 
number. In the long run, it will keep the colonies in a much 
more prosperous condition, and secure from them the largest 
yield of honey. 

I have never myself hesitated, if necessary, to sacrifice 
one or more colonies, in order to ascertain a single fact, and 
it would require a separate volume, quite as large as this, 
to detail the various experiments which I have made on the 
single subject of Artificial Swarming. The practical bee- 
keeper, however, should never, for a moment, lose sight of 
the important distinction between an Apiary managed prin- 
cipally for the purposes of experiment and discovery, and 
one conducted almost exclusively witn reference to pecuni- 
ary profit. Any bee-keeper can easily experiment with my 
hives ; but I would recommend him to do so, at first, only 
on a small scale, and if profit is his object, to follow the 
directions furnished in this treatise, until he is sure that he 
has discovered others which are preferable. These cautions 
are given to prevent persons from incurring serious losses 
and disappointments, if they use hives, which,- if they are 
not on their guard, may tempt them into rash and unpro- 
fitable courses, by allowing so easily of all manner of ex- 
periments. 

Let the practical Apiarian remember that the less he disturbs- 
18* 



210 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

the stocks on which he relies for surplus honey, the better. 
After they are properly lodged in their new hive, they ought 
by all means to be allowed to carry on their labors without 
any interruption. Their hive ought not to be opened, ex- 
cept for some very sufficient reason, and the bees should 
never be so much interfered with, as to feel that they hold 
their possessions by a very uncertain tenure. Such an im- 
pression will often very seriously impair their zeal for accumu- 
lation. The object of giving the control over every comb in 
the hive, is not to enable the bee-keeper to be incessantly 
taking them in and out, and subjecting the bees to all sorts 
of annoyances. Unless he is conducting a course of ex- 
periments, such interference will be almost as silly as the 
conduct of children who pull up the seeds which they 
have planted, to see if they have sprouted, or how much 
"hey have grown. If, after these cautions, any still choose 
to disregard them, the blame of their losses should fall, not 
upon the hive, but upon their own mismanagement. 

Let me not, for a moment, be understood as wishing to 
discourage investigation, or to intimate that perfection has 
been so nearly attained that no more important discoveries 
remain to be made. On the contrary, I should be glad to 
learn that many who have the time and means, are disposed 
to use the facilities furnished by hives which give the control 
of each comb, to experiment on a large scale ; and I hope 
that every intelligent bee-keeper who follows my plans, will 
experiment at least on a small scale. In this way, we may 
soon expect to see, more satisfactorily elucidated, some 
points in the natural history of the bee, which are still in- 
volved in doubt. 

Having described the way in which forced swarms are 
made, both in common hives and in my own, when the 
Apiarian wishes in one season merely to double his colonies. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 211 

I shall now show in what manner he can secure the largest 
yield of honey, by forming only one new colony from two 
old ones. 

Early in the season, before the bees fly out, or better still, 
after they ceased to fly in the previous Fall, the two hives 
from which the new colony is to be formed, should be 
placed near each other, unless they are already not more than 
one or two feet apart. When the time for forming the artifi- 
cial colony has arrived, one of these hives should be removed 
from its stand, and the bees driven from it, precisely in the 
way already described. After the forced swarm is secured, 
the removed hive is replaced, in order to catch up all the 
returning bees, and then put in a new place. The other old 
stock must now be carried to a new location, and the forced 
or artificial swarm hived, and placed with its entrance as 
near as possible in the center of the space previously oc- 
cupied by the two colonies. Thousands of bees returning 
from the fields will now peaceably enter the new hive, and 
in this way a very powerful colony will be formed, which in 
a short time, will not only fill its hive, but also store up much 
surplus honey, if suitable facilities are given to it. The hive 
which was not forced, but simply removed to a new place, 
will not only part with all the bees which were abroad at 
the time, but will lose the larger portion of those which 
leave it for work, for two days after its removal. Still it will 
not suffer near as great a loss of bees as though it had been 
first forced and then removed, and will speedily recruit and 
make a powerful stock. 

When I wish to secure only an increase of one new 
colony from two old stocks, I often proceed as follows : I 
force an old stock, and take from it all the bees, setting the 
new colony at once on tlje old stand, so as to secure for it all 
the returning bees. The old hive from which the swarm 



212 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

was taken, is now put in the place of any strong stock, so that 
it may catch up a sufficient number of bees to carry on the 
work of the hive, and the stock whose place it occupies, is 
removed to a new location. Of all the methods for creating 
artificial swarms, I consider this to be the simplest and best. 
It may be practiced at any time in a pleasant day, from sun- 
rise until four o'clock in the afternoon ; and when the arti- 
ficial swarm is made so early that no bees are abroad, to 
recruit the old stock, this hive may be shut up, until it can 
be put upon the stand of any hive which begins to work 
v/ith vigor, and which has not swarmed. By such a mode of 
management which I earnestly recommend as the safest, 
simplest and best, the Apiarian will not only secure a 
reasonable increase of his colonies, but will maintain them all 
in high vigor, and in ordinary seasons obtain more spare 
honey than he would, if he did not encourage any increase. 
If all bee-keepers would adopt it, they would avoid many 
discouragements, and the country would soon be once more 
" a land flowing vi'ith milk and honey." 

The Apiarian who relies upon natural swarming, can 
double his new colonies if they issue at the same time, by 
hiving them together, or if this cannot be done, he may 
hive them in separate hives, and then, towards evening, set 
one hive on a sheet, and shake down the bees from the other, 
so that they can enter and join the first. It may be safely 
done, even if several days have elapsed before the second 
colony swarms ; although in this case, I prefer to sprinkle 
both swarms with scented sugar-water. I have doubled 
natural swarms in this way, repeatedly, and have never, 
when they were early, failed to secure from them a large 
quantity of honey. In sprinkling bees, let the operator 
remember that they are not to be drenched^ or almost 
drowned, as in this case, they will require a long time to 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 213 

enter the hive. Bees seem lo recognize each other by the 
sense of smell ; and when made to have the same odor, they 
will always mingle peaceably. This is the reason why I 
use a few drops of peppermint in the sugar-water. 

In doubling swarms in this manner, it will never be safe to 
attempt to mingle first and second swarms unless they are 
first thoroughly scented so that they cannot distinguish each 
other. Bees which have a fertile queen, will almost always. 
quarrel with those which have one still unimpregnated, and 
this is the reason why when new swarms attempt to mingle of 
their own accord, or are put together by the bee-keeper, 
thousands of bees are often destroyed. 

If an increase of only one third is desired, and the Apiarian 
chooses to rely on natural swarming, as soon as he has hived 
a swarm, he should remove the hive from which it issued, and 
put the new swarm in its place. It will thus secure nearly 
all the bees and will make a very powerful colony. The 
old stock from which it came, should now be put on the stand 
of another powerful stock, to be replenished with bees, and 
this third stock removed to a new location. Of all the va- 
rious methods of practicing natural swarming, I consider 
this to be the very best. If the colonies stand close together, 
all these various processes will be much better performed 
when the hives are all alike in shape and color. If the bees 
are very near together, and the hives quite unlike, they should 
not be attempted, except with the precautions which have 
been previously described. 

Beginners wnll find it very important to follow as closely as 
they can, my directions for performing the various processes, 
as I have constantly aimed to give none which are not 
important ; and while I utterly repudiate the notion that these 
directions may not be modified and improved, I am quite 



214 ARTIFICIAL SWAKMING. 

certain that this cannot be done by any but those who have 
considerable experience in the management of bees. 

As some Apiarians may be so situated as to wish to increase 
their bees quite rapidly, I shall give such methods as from 
numerous experiments, many of them conducted on a large 
scale, I have found to be the best. I wish it however 
to be most distinctly understood, that I do not consider ?;er?/ 
rapid multiplication as likely to succeed, except in the hands 
of a skillful Apiarian. Its chief merit consists in the short 
time which it requires to build up a large Apiary, and 
under ordinary circumstances it requires too much time, care 
and honey, to be of very great practical value. If the care- 
ful attention of the bee-keeper is at any critical time relaxed, 
by a flagging of the zeal with which he commenced, or 
sickness, or other necessary hindrances, he will find at the 
close of the season, or by the return of Spring, that his gains 
consist only of experience^ purchased at a very extravagant 
price. After trying my mode of management for a few 
seasons, a bee-keeper may find that he is favorably situated 
for taking care of a large stock of bees. Suppose him to 
have acquired both skill and confidence, and that he has ten 
powerful colonies. If he is willing to do without surplus 
honey for one season, and the honey-harvest should be very 
productive, he may, without feeding, or very much labor, 
safely increase his ten colonies to thirty. If he chooses to 
feed largely, he may possibly end the season with fifty or 
sixty, or even more ; but he will prohally end it in such a 
manner as most thoroughly to disgust him with his folly, and 
to teach him that in bee-keeping, as well as in other things, 
*'Haste makes waste." 

On the supposition that by the time the fruit-trees are In 
blossom, the Apiarian has, in movable-comb hives, ten pow- 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 215 

erful colonies, let him select four of the strongest, and make 
from each a forced swarm. He will then have four queen- 
less colonies, which will at once, proceed to supply 
themselves with a young queen. In about ten days, he may 
make from his other six stocks, six more forced swarms. 
He will probably find in making these, many sealed queens, 
if he has delayed the operation until about swarming time ; 
so that he may give to each of the six stocks from which he 
has expelled a swarm, the means of soon obtaining another 
queen. If he has not queens enough for this purpose, he 
must take the required number from the four stocks which 
are raising young queens, the exact condition of which ought 
to have been previously ascertained. Some of these stocks 
will be found to contain a large number of queen cells. 
Huber, in one of his experiments, found twenty -four in one 
hive, and even a larger number has sometimes been reared 
by a single colony. 

As the Apiarian will always have many more queens than 
are wanted, he should select those combs which contain a 
sealed queen, so as to obtain about fifteen combs, each of 
which has one or more queens. If necessary, he can cutout 
some of the cells, and adjust them in the manner previously 
described. Each comb containing a sealed queen, must be 
put with all the bees adhering to it, into an empty hive ; 
water should be given to them, and honey, if^there is none 
in the comb. I always prefer to select a comb which con- 
tains a large number of workers just beginning to hatch, 
so that even if a considerable number of the bees should 
return to the parent stock, after their liberty is given them, 
there will still be a sufficient number hatched, to attend to 
the young, and especially to watch over the maturing queens. 

If the comb has a large number of bees just emerging 
from their cells, I prefer to confine them only one day, 



216 ARTIFICAL SWARMING. 

Otherwise I keep them shut up until about an hour before 
sunset of the third day. The hives containing these small 
colonies, ought, if not well protected by being made double, 
to be set where they are thoroughly sheltered from the 
intense heat of the sun ; and the entrances should be so ad- 
justed as to give them sufficient ventilation. 

These small colonies I call nuclei, (from the Latin word 
nucleus, a small cluster,) and the system of forming stocks 
from them, my nucleus system ; and before I describe this 
system more particularly, I shall show other ways in which 
the nuclei can be formed. If the Apiarian chooses, he can 
lake a frame containing bees just ready to mature, and eggs 
and young worms, all of the worker kind, together with the 
old bees which cluster on it, and shut them up in the manner 
previously described, even if he has no sealed queen to give 
them. He will find that a comb from which about one third 
of the brood has just hatched, will almost always contain 
eggs freshly deposited in the empty cells. If all things are 
favorable, the bees will set about raising a queen in a few 
hours. I once took not more than a tea-cup full of bees, and 
on confining them in a dark place-with a small piece of brood 
comb, found that in about an hour, they had begun to enlarge 
some of the cells, to raise a new queen ! If the Apiarian 
has sealed queens on hand, they ought to be given to the 
nuclei, in order to save all the time possible. 

I sometimes make these nuclei as follows : A suitable 
comb with bees, &c,, is taken from a stock-hive, and put in 
an empty one made to stand partly in the place of the old 
hive, which, of course, must previously be moved a little on 
one side. In this way, 1 am able to divert a considerable 
number of the bees from the old stock, to my nucleus, and 
the necessity of shutting it up, is done away with. If the 
bees from the old stock do not enter the small one, in suf- 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 217 

ficient numbers, I sometimes close their hive, or cover it 
with a sheet, so that the returning bees can find no other 
place to enter. My object is not to obtain a large number of 
bees. For reasons previously assigned, I do not want 
enough to build new comb, but only enough to adhere to 
the removed comb, and raise a new queen from its brood, 
or develop the sealed one which has been given them. A 
short time after one nucleus has in this way, been formed^ 
another may be made by moving the old hive again, and so 
a third or fourth, if so many are wanted. This plan requires 
considerable skill and experience, to secure the right number 
of bees, without getting too many. 

If bees are to be made to enter a new hive, by removing 
the old one from its stand, it will always be very desirable 
not only to have the new one contain a piece of comb, but 
a considerable number of bees clustered on that comb. I 
repeatedly found that my bees, after entering the hive, refus- 
ed to have anything to do with the brood comb, and for a 
long time, I was unable to conjecture the cause ; until I 
ascertained that they were dissatisfied with its deserted ap- 
pearance, and that, by taking the precaution to have it well 
covered with bees, I seldom failed to reconcile them to this 
system of forced colonization. I can usually tell, in less 
than two minutes, whether the operation will succeed or not. 
If the returning bees intend to accept of their new home, 
they will, however much agitated at first, soon begin to join 
the cluster on the comb ; while if they are dissatisfied, they 
will abandon 'the hive, and nearly all the bees that were 
originally on the comb, will leave with them. They seem 
capricious in this matter, and are sometimes so very self- 
willed, that they refuse to have anything to do with the brood 
comb, when no good reason can be seen for their being so 
rebellious. 

19 



218 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

I shall here state some conjectures which have occurred to 
me on this subject. Is it absolutely certain that bees can 
raise a queen from any egg or young worm which would 
produce a worker? Or if this is possible, is it certain that 
every kind of workers can accomplish this ? Huber ascer- 
tained to his own satisfaction that there were two kinds of 
workers in a hive. He thus describes them : 

" One of these is, in general, destined for the elaboration 
of wax, and its size is considerably enlarged when full of 
honey ; the other immediately imparts what ii has collected, 
to its companions, its abdomen undergoes no sensible change, 
or it retains only the honey necessary for its own subsistence. 
The particular function of the bees of this kind is to take care 
of the young, for they are not charged with provisioning the 
hive. Tn opposition to the wax workers, we shall call them 
small bees or nurses." 

" Although the external difference be inconsiderable, this 
is not an imaginary distinction. Anatomical observations 
prove that the capacity of the stomach is not the same : 
experiments have ascertained that one of the species cannot 
fulfill all the functions shared among the workers of a hive. 
We painted those of each class with different colors, in order 
to study their proceedings ; and these were not interchang- 
ed. In another experiment, after supplying a hive deprived 
of a queen with brood and pollen, we saw the small bees 
quickly occupied in nutrition of the larvee, while those of the 
wax working class neglected them. Small bees also produce 
wax, but in a very inferior quantity to what is*elaborated by 
the real wax workers." 

Now if these statements can be relied on, and I have nearly 
always found Ruber's statements, wherever I have tested 
them, perfectly reliable, then it may be that when bees refuse 
to cluster on the brood comb, to rear a new queen, it is because 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING* 219 

they find that some of the conditions necessary for success, 
are wanting. Either there may not be a sufficient number of 
wax-workers, to enlarge the cells, or a sufficient number of 
nurses to take charge of the larvae ; or perhaps the cells 
contain only young wax- workers which cannot be developed 
into queens, or only young nurses which may be in the same 
predicament. 

If any of my readers imagine that it is an easy work, careful- 
ly to experiment, in order to establish facts upon the solid basis 
of complete demonstration, let them attempt lo prove or dis- 
prove the truth of any or all of my conjectures upon this 
single topic. They will probably find the task more difficult 
than to blot over whole quires or reams of paper with care- 
less assertions. 

All operations of any kind which interfere in the very 
least, with the natural mode of forming colonies, are best 
performed in the swarming season : or at least, at a time 
when the bees are breeding freely, and are able to bring in 
large stores of honey from the fields. At other times, they 
are very precarious, and unless under the management of 
persons who have great experience, will in most cases, end 
in nothing but vexatious losses and disappointments. 

It is quite amusing to see how bees act, when they find, 
on their return from foraging abroad, that their hive has been 
moved, and another put in its place. If the new hive is pre- 
cisely similar to their own, in size and outward appearance, 
they enter it at once, as though all was right ; but, in a few 
moments, rush out in violent agitation, imagining that 
by a prodigious mistake they have entered the wrong place. 
They now take wing again, in order to correct their blun- 
der, but find to their increasing surprise, that they had 
previously directed their flight to the familiar spot ; again 
they enter, and again they tumble out, in bewildered crowds^^ 



220 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

until at length, if they can find the means of raising a new 
queen, or one is already there, they make up their minds 
that if this is not home, it not only looks like it, but stands 
just where their home ought to be, and is at all events the 
only home they are likely to get. No doubt they often feel 
that a very hard bargain has been imposed upon them, but 
they generally are wise enough to make the best of it. 

There is one trait in the character of bees, for which I 
feel, not merely admiration, but the most profound respect. 
Such is their indomitable energy and perseverance, that un- 
der circumstances apparantly hopeless, they will still labor 
to the utmost, to retrieve their losses, and sustain the sinking 
State. So long as they have a queen, or any prospect of 
raising one, they struggle most vigorously against impending 
ruin, and never give up, unless their condition is absolutely 
desperate. In one of my observing hives, I once had a 
colony of bees, the whole of which might have been spread 
out on my two hands, busy at work in raising a new queen, 
from a small piece of brood comb. For two long weeks, 
they adhered with unfailing perseverance and industry, to 
their forlorn hope : until at last, one of the two queens which 
they raised, came fourth, and destroyed the other while still 
in her cell. The bees had now dwindled away to less than 
half their original number, and the new queen bad wings so 
imperfect that she was unable to fly. I watched their pro- 
ceedings with great interest ; they actually paid very unusual 
attention to this crippled queen, treating her with almost as 
much regard as though she were fertile. In the course of a 
week, there were not more than a dozen bees left in the hive, 
and in a few days more, I missed the queen, and saw only 
a few disconsolate wretches crawling over the deserted comb ! 

Shame on the faint-hearted and cowardly of our own race, 
who, if overtaken by calamity, instead of nobly breasting the 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 221 

dark waters of affliction, and manfully buffeting with their 
tumultuous waves, meanly resign themselves to their ignoble 
fate, and sink and perish, where they might have lived and 
triumphed; and double shame upon those who thus "faint, 
in the day of adversity," when living in a Christian land, 
they might, if they would only receive the word of God, and 
open the eye of faith, behold a bow of promise spanning the 
still stormy clouds, and hear a voice bidding them, like the 
great apostle of the Gentiles, learn not merely to " rejoice in 
hope of the glory of God," but to " glory in tribulations also." 

I have been informed by Mr. Wagner,, that Dzierzon has 
recently devised a plan, of making nuclei^ substantially thej 
same with my own.. His book, however, contemplates hav- 
ing two Apiaries, three or four miles apart, and his plans foi: 
multiplying colonies, as there described, were based upon the- 
supposition that the Apiarian has two such establishments. 
Such an arrangement would no doubt very gi*eatly facilitate 
many operations. Our forced swarms might all be removed 
from the Apiary where they were formed, to, the other, and 
our nuclei treated in the same way, and. there would be no 
necessity for conHning the bees after their removal. There 
are however, weighty objections, to, such an arrangement, 
which will prevent it, at least for some time, froni; being ex- 
tensively adopted. The labor and expense of removing the 
bees backwards and forwards, is a se]:ious objection, to the 
whole plan j and in addition to this, the necessity of having 
a skillful Apiarian at each establishment, unfits it for the 
purposes of most persons who keep bees- It might answer,, 
however, if two bee-keepers, sufficiently far apart, would 
enter into partnership, and manage their bees as a joint 
concern. 

Those who cannot remove their bees, and who from 
timidity, are desirous of forming their artificial swarms in 
19* 



222 ARTIFICIAL S WARMING. 

the morning, before the bees are on the wing, and for this 
reason, or, for want of time, cannot take the proper precau- 
tions, to secure for the old stocks the necessary number of 
adhering bees, may still force swarms with advantage by 
proceeding as follows : After the new colony has been form- 
ed, in the manner previously described, care being taken to 
leave in the old stock a sufficient number of bees, set this old 
stock in a cool or shady place, and shut up the bees, giving 
them an abundance of air, until late in the afternoon of the 
third day. They may nov^^ be placed in any convenient 
situation, and an hour or two before sun-set, allowed their 
liberty. They will often take wing, almost as though they 
were intending to swarm. Some will even now return to 
the place where their hive originally stood, and join the 
forced swarm, but most of them, after hovering a short 
time in the air, will re-enter their hive. During the time 
they have been shut up, thousands of young bees will have 
emerged from their cells, all of which, knowing no other 
home, will aid in carrying on the work of the hive. While 
confined, the bees ought to be supplied with water, or they 
will not be able to prepare food for the larvse, multitudes of 
which would necessarily perish. If the hive is so consiruct- 
ed that water cannot conveniently be given them, a small 
gimblet hole may be made on the front, near the top, through 
which it may be easily injected with a straw. 

The following is Dzierzon's new plan of creating nuclei, 
already alluded to : Towards evening, he removes a piece of 
brood comb, with eggs and bees just hatching, and puts it into 
an empty hive, with a sufficient number of mature bees to keep 
the brood from being chilled over night. If the operation is 
performed so late, that the bees are not disposed to take wing, 
and leave the hive, by morning a sufficient number will have 
hatched, to supply the place of those which may abandon 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMIXG 223 

the nucleus. In my numerous experiments in the Summer, of 
1842, in the formation of artificial swarms, I tried this plan, 
and found that it answered a good purpose ; the chief objec- 
tion to it, is the difficulty often of selecting the suitable kind 
of comb, if the operation is delayed until late in the afternoon. 
I prefer, therefore, to perform it, when the sun is an hour or 
two high, and to confine the bees until dark. If there are 
not a sufficient number of bees on the comb, I shake off 
some from another frame, directly into the hive, and shut 
them all up, giving them a supply of water. Sealed queens 
if possible, should be used in all these operations. 

I shall now describe a novel mode of creating nuclei, 
which I have devised, and which I find to be attended with 
great success : Hive a new swarm in the usual manner, in 
an old box, and as soon as the bees have entered it, shut 
them up and carry them down into the cellar, unless they 
can be put in a cool place, and supplied with a liberal allow- 
ance of air. About an hour before sunset, take combs 
suitable to form as many nuclei as you judge best, say five 
or six, or even eight or ten, if the swarm was large, and you 
need as many. Take the new swarm, and shake it out 
upon a sheet, sprinkling it gently with sugar-water. With 
a large spoon or tumbler, scoop up, without hurting any of 
the bees, a pint or more of them, and place them before the 
mouth of one of the hives containing a brood comb ; repeat 
the process, until each nucleus has about a quart of bees. 
If you see the queen, you may give the hive in which you 
put her, three or four times as many bees as any other; and 
the next day it may be strengthened with a few combs, 
containing brood, just ready to mature. If you do not see 
her, at the time of forming the nuclei, the one in which you 
afterwards find her, may be properly reinforced with bees 
and comb, so as to enable it to work to the best advantage. 



224 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

If this plan of forming nuclei, were attempted earlier in 
the afternoon, it would be difficult to prevent the bees from 
communicating on the wing, and going to the nucleus which 
contains their queen. If, however, the bees when first 
shaken out of the temporary hive, are so thoroughly- 
sprinkled, as not to be able to take wing and unite together, 
this mode of forming colonies may be practiced at any hour 
of the day ; and an experienced Apiarian may prefer to do 
it, as soon as he has fairly hived the new swarm. 

When the bees are shaken out in front of a hive which has 
a sealed queen, or eggs from which they can raise one,' 
having a whole night in which to accustom themselves to 
their new situation, they will be found, the next day, to ad- 
here to the place where they were put, with as much 
tenacity as a natural swarm to their new hive. How won- 
derful that the act of swarming should so thoroughly impress 
upon the bees, an absolute indisposition to return to the 
parent stock ! If this were a fixed and invariable unwilling- 
ness, a son of blind, unreasoning instinct, it would not be so 
surprising, but we have already seen that when the bees lose 
their queen, they return, in a very short time, to the stock 
from which they issued. If the nuclei formed in the man- 
ner just described, found in their new hive, no means of 
obtaining a queen, they would return, next morning, to the 
parent stock. 

When the Apiarian can obtain a forced swarm from some 
other Apiary, two or three miles from his own, it may be 
divided into nuclei, which wnll prosper equally well ; and if 
he cannot conveniently obtain a forced swarm from an 
Apiary, at least a mile distant, he may, before the bees begin 
to fly out in the Spring, transport one of his stocks to a 
neighbor's, and force from it a swarm at the desired time. 
Even if it is moved not more than half a mile off, at a time 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMINS. 225 

when forage is abundant near his own hives, the operation 
will be almost sure to succeed. Of all modes of forming 
the nuclei, this T believe will be found to be the neatest, 
simplest, surest and best. 

Having thus described ihe methods by which I form my 
nuclei, I shall now show how they may be built up into 
powerful stocks. It will be very obvious, that on the ordi- 
nary plan of management, they would be absolutely worth- 
less, even if it were possible to form them with ihe common 
hives. If they were not fed, being unable to collect the 
means of building new comb, they would gradually dwindle 
away, like third or fourth swarms which issue late in the 
season ; nor could they be saved, even by the most generous 
feeding, since they would only use their supplies to fill up 
the little comb they had ; so that when the queen was ready 
to lay, there would be no empty cells to receive her eggs, 
and too few bees to build any, even if they had all the honey 
that they required. Such small colonies must gradually 
waste away, unless they can be speedily and effectually 
supplied with the requisite number of bees, and this can be 
successfully done, only by hives v/hich give the control of all 
the combs. With such hives, I can speedily build up my 
nuclei, (unless I have too many,) to the strength necessary to 
make them powerful stocks. 

The hives containing these miniature swarms, ought, if 
possible, to stand at some considerable distance from other 
hives ; and if this cannot be conveniently done, they should 
in some way, be so distinguished from the adjoining hives, 
that the young queens when they are hatched, and go out to 
seek the drones, will not be liable, on their return, to lose 
their lives, by entering a wrong hive. A small leafy twig, 
fastened on the front of such hives, when they stand near to 
others, will be almost sure to prevent such a catastrophe : 



226 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

or some may be marked in this way, and others with a piece 
of colored cloth. (See p. 152-3.) To guard them against 
robbers, the entrances to these nuclei should be contracted, 
so that only a few bees can pass in at once. Those which 
were confined, should be examined, the day after their liberty 
is given to them ; the others the day after they were formed, 
when, if they were not supplied with a sealed queen, they 
will be found actively engaged in constructing royal cells. 
A new range of comb should now be given to each 
one, and it should contain no old bees, but brood rapidly 
maturing, and if possible, eggs and worms only a few 
days old. 

This addition of strength will greatly encourage the nuclei, 
and give them the means of starting young queens, if they 
have not succeeded, with the first comb. I have often 
found, that for some cause, they start a large number of 
queen cells, which in a few days, are all discontinued, and 
untenanted. The second attempt seldom fails. Does prac- 
tice make them more expert ? But I will simply state the fact, 
referring to my conjectures on page 218 ; and remarking 
that when they make a second attempt, they are frequently 
disposed to start a much larger number than they would 
otherwise have done. In two or three days after giving 
them the first piece of comb, I give them another, if their 
queen is nearly mature, and then let them alone, until she 
ought to be depositing eggs in the hive. I now give them at in- 
tervals of a few days, two or three combs more, which make 
them sufficiently powerful in bees, to gather large quantities 
of honey, and fill the empty part of their hive. The young 
queen is supplying with thousands of worker-eggs, the cells 
from which the brood has emerged, and also the new ones 
built by the bees, and the young colony will soon be one of 
the best stock hives in the Apiary. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 227 

But what, in the mean time, is the condition of the hives 
from which we are taking so many brood combs, for the 
proper development of our nuclei ? afe they not tasked so 
much as to become quite enfeebled ? This brings us to the 
turning point of the whole nucleus system. If due judgment 
has not been used, but the sanguine bee-keeper has multi- 
plied his colonies too rapidly, a grievous disappointment 
awaits him. Either his nuclei cannot be strengthened at 
the right time, or this can be done, only by impoverishing 
the old stocks, so that the result of the whole operation will 
be a decided failure ; and if he is in the vicinity of sugar- 
houses, confectionaries, or other tempting places of bee 
resort, he will find the population of his colonies so seriously 
diminished, that he will have to break up most of the nuclei 
which he had formed, besides incurring the danger of losing 
nearly all his stock. 

I consider it a fundamental principle in my nucleus system, 
that the old stocks must never be so much weakened by the 
removal of brood-comb and bees, as to be unable to keep 
their numbers strong enough to refill rapidly all vacancies 
among their combs. If the Apiarian attempts to multiply 
his stocks too rapidly for this, I will ensure him ample 
cause to repent at leisure of his folly. If, however, the 
attempt at very rapid multiplication is made only by those 
who are favorably situated, and who have great skill in 
the management of bees, a very large gain may be made 
in the number of stocks, and yet all be strong and flour- 
ishing. 

If a strong stock of bees in a hive of moderate size, is 
examined at the height of the honey harvest, nearly all the 
cells will often be found filled with brood, honey, or bee- 
bread. The great laying of the queen, according to some 
writers, is now over, yet not as they erroneously imagine. 



228 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

because her fertility has decreased, but merely because 
there is not room in the hive for all her eggs. She may 
often be seen restlessly traversing the combs, seeking in 
vain for empty cells, until finding none, she is compelled to 
extrude her eggs, only to be devoured by the bees. If some 
of the full combs are removed, and empty ones substituted, 
she will speedily fill them, laying at the rate of two or three 
thousand eggs a day ! A queen in a small colony, or in a 
hive where nearly all the brood comb is occupied, will often 
appear almost as slender as one which is still unfertile ; but 
give her plenty of bees and empty comb, and in a short 
time, her proportions will become so much enlarged, that she 
will often be wholly incapable of flight. (See p. 51-2.) 

When strong stocks are, from time to time, deprived of 
one or two combs, if honey can easily be procured, (and if 
it cannot, the Apiarian must himself supply it,) the bees 
proceed at once to replace them, and the queen commences 
laying in the new combs, as soon as the cells are fairly 
started. 

If the combs are not removed too fast, and care is taken 
not to deprive the stock of so much brood that the bees can- 
not maintain a vigorous population, a queen in a hive so 
managed, will lay her eggs in cells to be nurtured by ihe 
bees, instead of being eaten up ; and thus, in the course of 
the season, she may become the mother of three or four 
times as many bees, as are reared in a hive under other 
circumstances. By careful management, brood enough may, 
in this way, be taken from a single hive, to build up a large 
number of nuclei. Towards the close of the season, how- 
ever, as such a hive has been constantly tasked in building 
comb and feeding young bees, nearly all its honey will have 
been used for these purposes, and although it may be very 
populous, it will surely perish, unless liberally fed. Since 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 229 

th@ discovery that unbolted rye flour will answer so admirably 
as a substitute for pollen, we can supply the bees not only 
with honey, when none can be gathered from the blossoms, 
but with an abundance of bee-bread, v>^hen pollen is scarce. 
As I am writing this chapter, (March 29, 1853,) my bees 
are zealously engaged in taking flour from some old combs 
in front of their hives, and can be seen most beautifully 
moulding the little pellets on their thighs. By my moveable 
combs I can give them the flour, at once, in their hives, as it 
can easily be rubbed into an empty comb. The im.portance 
of Dzierzon's discovery of a substitute for pollen, can hardly 
be over-estimated. If he had done nothing more for Apia- 
rian science, no true-hearted bee-keeper would ever allow 
his name to be forgotten. 

In the Chapter on Feeding, I shall give more specific di- 
rections as to the way in which the cultivator must feed his 
bees, when he aims at increasing, as rapidly as possible, the 
number of his stocks. Unless this work is done with greafc 
judgment, he will often find that the more he feeds, the 
fewer bees he has in his hives, the cells being all occupied 
with honey instead of brood. Such is the passion of bees 
for storing away honey, that large supplies will always most 
seriously interfere with breeding, unless there are enough 
bees to build new comb, in which the queen can find room 
for her eggs. 

I have no doubt that some who have not much experience 
in the management of bees, are ready to imagine that they 
can easily strike out a simpler and better way of increasing 
the number of colonies. For instance : let a full hive have 
half its comb and bees put into an empty one, and the work 
of doubling, is without further trouble, effectually accom- 
plished. But what will the queenless hive do, under such 
circumstances ? Why, build of course, queen cells, and 
20 



230 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

rear another. But what kind of comb will they fill their 
hives with, before the young queen begins to breed ? Of 
that, perhaps, you had never thought. Let me now give the 
only safe rule for all who engage in the multiplication of 
artificial swarms. Never, under any circumstances, take so 
much comb and brood from your stock hives, as seriously to 
reduce their numbers. This should be to the Apiarian, 
as " the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." 

Suppose that I should divide a populous stock, at the 
swarming season, into four or five colonies ; the probability 
is, that not one, if left to themselves, will be strong enough 
to survive the Winter. If fed in the ordinary way, and yet 
not supplied with combs and bees, their ruin will often be 
only accelerated. If, on the contrary, I take, from time to 
time, combs sufficient to form three or four nuclei, and 
strengthen the new colonies, in such a way as not to draw 
too severely upon the resources of the parent stock, I 
may expect to see them all, in due time, strong and flour- 
ishing. 

In the Spring, if I desire to determine the strength of a 
colony principally to raising young bees, I can easily effect 
it by the following plan. A box is made, of the same inside 
dimensions with the lower hive, into which the bees of a full 
hive, with their combs, can all be transferred, as soon as 
they are gathering honey enough to build new combs. This 
box is now set over the old hive, which contains its comple- 
ment of empty frames, or better siill, of frames supplied 
with worker comb. As soon as the bees are strong enough 
to build new comb, they take possession of the lower hive, 
and the queen descends with them, in order to lay her eggs 
in the lower combs. When the lower apartment becomes 
pretty well filled, a large number of combs with maturing 
bees, may be taken from the upper one, and when the hive 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 23l 

below is full, they may all be safely removed. If none of 
the upper combs are removed, they will be filled with honey, 
as soon as the brood is hatched ; and as they will contain 
large stores of bee-bread, they will answer admirably for 
replenishing stocks which have an insufficient supply. 

If two swarms are hived together, or a very powerful 
stock is lodged in a hive, and immediate access given them 
to the upper apartment, an extraordinary quantity of honey, 
of excellent quality, can be secured. As soon as the bees 
have raised one generation of young, in the combs of the 
upper box, or rather in a part of them, they will use it chiefly 
for storing honey, and its contents may be taken from them. 
In flavor, it will be found to be nearly as good as honey 
stored in what is called " virgin comb." There is always 
some risk, however, in making a very large colony, that they 
will build an excess of drone comb, if the season is very 
propitious for gathering honey. 

In the Chapter on the Requisites of a good hive, it was 
said that in size it should be adapted to the natural instincts 
of the bee, and yet admit of being enlarged or contracted, 
according to the wants of the colony placed in it. I never 
use a hive, the main apartment of which, holds less than a 
bushel. If small colonies are placed in such a hive, it may 
be temporarily partitioned off, to suit the size of its inmates ; 
for if bees have too much room, they cannot so well con- 
centrate their animal heat, and are so much discouraged that 
they often abandon the hive. I am aware that many judi- 
cious Apiarians recommend hives of much smaller dimen- 
sions, and I shall now give my reasons for using one so 
large. If a hive is too small, then in the Spring, the combs 
are soon filled with honey, bee-bread, and brood, and the 
surprising fertility of the queen bee can be turned to no 
efficient account. If the honey-harvest in any year is de- 



£32 ARTIFICIAL SWARMma. 

licient, such a colony is very apt to perish in the succeeding 
Winter; whereas in a large hive, the honey stored up in a 
fruitful season, is a reserve supply, for time of need. In 
very large hives, I have seen accumulations of honey 
which have been untouched for years, while by their side, 
stocks of the same age, in small hives, have perished by 
starvation. 

A good early swarm in any favorable situation, will the 
first season, fill a hive that holds a bushel ; and if there is 
any location in which they cannot do this, a doubled swarm 
should be put into the hive, or, unless the non-swarming plan 
is pursued, bee-keeping, as far as profit is concerned, may 
be abandoned. But it may be objected that if the swarm is 
not strong enough to fill the hive, the bees will often suffer 
from the cold in Winter, and become too much reduced m 
numbers, to build early and rapidly, in the ensuing Spring. 
This is undoubtedly true, and hence the importance of put- 
ting, at the start, a generous allowance of bees into a hive, 
unless, as on my plan, the requisite strength can be given to 
them, at a subsequent period. The hive, if large, should be 
all the more carefully protected from extremes of cold, in 
order to give the bees an opportunity of developing, to the 
best advantage, their natural powers of reproduction. 

In such a hive, the queen will be able to breed almost 
every month in the year, even in the coldest climates where 
bees can flourish, and on the return of Spring, thousands of 
young bees will be found in it, which could not have been 
bred in a small, or badly protected hive. The Polish hives 
have already been referred to. Some of these hold about 
three bushels, and yet the bees swarm with great regularity, 
and the swarms are often of immense size. These hives 
are admirably protected, and at the time of hiving, at least 
four times the number of bees are lodged in them, that are 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 233 

ordinarily put into one of our hives. The queen, in such a 
hive, has ample room to lay daily, her three thousand or 
more eggs, and an immense colony is raised, which often 
stores enormous supplies of honey. As all the frames in 
my hives are of the same dimensions, the size of the hive 
may be conveniently varied, to suit the views of different 
bee-keepers ; for it may be large or small, according to the 
number of frames designed to be used. 

This whole subject of the proper size of hives, certainly 
needs to be taken entirely out of the region of conjecture^ 
and put upon the basis of careful observations. Unquestion- 
ably, the size will require, in some respects, to be modified by 
the more or less favorable character of a district, for bee- 
keeping ; but I am satisfied that small hives will be found of 
hut little profit, and that large ones, unless well stocked with 
bees, from the first, and thoroughly protected, will seldonri 
answer any good end. If I should find, on further experi- 
ment, that very large hives are better, my hives are at pres- 
ent so constructed, that without any alteration of existing 
parts, they can easily be supplied with the required additions. 
I have already mentioned, that to save expense, I sometimes 
build my hives, two or three in one structure. 1 do not^ 
however, wish to be considered as recommending such hives 
as best for general use. For some purposes, a single hive 
is unquestionably better, as it can be easily moved by one 
person ; and this will often be found to be a point of great 
importance. 

It has been already stated that the queen bee cannot be 
induced to sting, by any kind of treatment however severe. 
The reason of this strange unwillingness to use her natural 
and powerful weapon, will be obvious, when we consider 
how indispensable to the very existence of the colony, is the 
preservation of her life, and that her sting, the loss of which 
20* 



234 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

would cause her death, could avail but little for their defence. 
Id case of an attack. She never uses it, except when en- 
gaged in mortal combat with another queen. As soon as the 
two rivals meet, they clinch, at once, with every demonstra- 
tion of the most vindictive hatred. Why then, are not both 
often destroyed ? and why are not hives, in the swarming 
season, almost certain to become queenless ? We can never 
sufficiently admire the provision so simple, and yet so 
effectual, by which such a calamity is prevented. The queen, 
in. the combat, never stings, unless she has such an ad- 
vantage, that she can curve her body under that of her rival, 
so as to inflict a deadly wound, without any risk to herself! 
The moment that the position of the two combatants is 
such that neither has the advantage, but both are liable to 
perish, they not only refuse to sling, but disengage them- 
selves, and suspend their conflict for a short time ! It it were 
not for this peculiarity of instinct, such combats would very 
often end in the death of both the parties, and the race of 
bees would be in danger of becoming extinct. 

The following very interesting statements are from the peo 
of Hon. Simon Brown, of Concord, Massachusetts, Lieuten- 
ant Governor of that Commonwealth in 1855. The observa- 
uons were made in a parlor observing hive, of my invention, 
and were published by him, in the New England Farmer^ 
for Oct. 1855, pages 450-1. 

" On the 17lh of July last, we placed in our dining-room 
window, an observing bee-hive, constructed of glass, so thaC 
all (he operations of the bees could be plainly and conven- 
iently seen. A comb about a foot square was placed in it, 
containing some brood, with plenty of workers and drones, 
but without a queen. The liive was then carefully observed 
by one of the ladies of the family, who has given us the fol- 
lawin<T account of iheir doings.'" 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 285 

" The first business the bees attended to, was to commence- 
cells for a queen, and they prosecuted it with energy for two- 
days. At the end of that time, a queen was taken from 
another colony and placed wiih them, upon which they 
pulled down the cells they had made, in less than half the 
time it had required to construct them, and then began Xo 
piece out and repair the comb, which needed a corner. The 
queen at once commenced laying, and soon filled the unoc- 
cupied cells, when she was again removed, and the bees- 
once more began the construction of queen cells. 

"^ The young bees now began to hatch forth, and in two> 
weeks the family increased so fast as to make it necessary 
for them to prepare to emigrate. They had built six queen- 
cells, and in about twelve days, the first queen was hatched. 
As soon as she was fairly born, she marched rapidly, and in'. 
the most energetic manner, over the combj and visited the 
other cells in which were the embryo queens, seeming at 
times furious to destroy them. The workers, however^ 
surrounded her, and prevented such wholesale murder. But 
for two days she was intent upon her fell purpose, and kept 
in almost continuous motion to effect it. On the fourteenth 
day the second queen was ready to come out, piping and 
making various noises to attract attention". 

" A part of the colony then seemed to conclude that it was 
time to take the first queen and go, but by some mistake she 
remained in the hive after the swarm had left. The second 
queen came out as soon as possible after the others had gone, 
and then there were now t7D0 halched queens in the hive ! they 
ran about on the comb, which was now nearly empty, so thai 
they could be distinctly seen. But they had not apparently, 
noticed each other, while the workers were in a state of 
great uneasiness and commotion, seeming impatient for the 



236 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

destruction of one of them. The mode they adopted to ac- 
complish it was of the most deliberate and cold-blooded kind. 
A circle of bees kept one queen stationary, while another 
party dragged the other up to her, so that their heads nearly 
touched, and then the bees stood back, leaving a fair field for 
the combatants, in which one was to gain her laurels, and 
the other to die ! The battle was fierce and sanguinary. 
They grappled each other, and like expert wrestlers, strove 
to inflict the fatal blow, by some sudden or adroit movement. 
But for some moments the parties seemed equally matched ; 
no advantage could be gained on either side. The bees stood 
looking calmly on the dreadful affray, as though they them- 
selves had been the heroes of a hundred wars. But the 
battle, like all others, had its close ; one fell upon the field, 
and was immediately taken by the workers and carried out 
of the hive. By this time, the bees which had swarmed, 
made the discovery that their queen was missing, and al- 
though they had been hived without any trouble, came 
rushing back, but not in season to witness the fatal battle, and 
the fall of their poor slain queen, who should have gone forth 
with them to seek a future home." 

The unwillingness of a colony deprived of its queen, to 
receive another, until after some time, must always be borne 
in mind, by those who make artificial swarms. About 24 
hours must elapse, before it will be safe to introduce a strange 
mother into a queenless hive ; and even then, if she is not 
fertile, she runs a great risk of being destroyed. To prevent 
such losses, I adopt the German plan of confining the queen, 
in what they call, " a queen cage." A small hole, about as 
large as a thimble, may be made in a block, and covered 
over with wire gauze, or any kind of perforated cover, so 
that when the queen is confined in it, and placed in the hive, 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 23T 

ihe bees cannot destroy her. Before long, they will cultivate 
an acquaintance, by thrusting their antennse through, to her ; 
so that when she is liberated the next day, they will gladly 
adopt her, in place of the one ihey have lost. If a hole large 
enough for her to creep out, is closed with w^ax, they will 
gnaw the wax away, and liberate her themselves, from her 
confinement. Queens that seem bent on departing to the 
woods, may be confined in the same way, until the colony 
gives up all thoughts of forsaking its hive. A small paste- 
board box with suitable holes, or a wooden mach-box 
thoroughly scalded, I have found to answer a very good 
purpose. 

I shall here describe what may be called a Queen Nursery, 
which I have contrived, to aid those who are engaged in the 
rapid multiplication of colonies by artificial means. A solid 
block about an inch and a quarter thick, is substituted for one 
of my frames ; hlt)les, about one and a half inches in diame- 
ter, are bored through it, and covered on both sides with 
gauze wire, which should be permanently fastened on one side, 
and arranged in the form of slides, or the other for conve- 
nience in opening. A hole should be made in the wire large 
enough to admit a worker, and yet confine the young queen 
when hatched. 

If the Apiarian has a number of sealed queens, and there 
is danger that some may hatch, and destroy the others, be- 
fore he can make use of them in forming artificial swarms^ 
he may very carefully cutout the combs containing ihem^ 
(p. 190,) and place each in a separate cradle ! The bees 
having access to them, will give them proper attention, sup- 
plying them with food as soon as ihey are hatched, and thus 
they will always be on hand, for use when needed. This 
nursery must of course be established in a hive which 
has no mature queen, or it will quickly be transformed into h 
slaughter house by the bees. 



238 ARTmCIAL SWARMING. 

In the first edition of this work, in speaking of the Queen 
Nursery, I remarked as follows : " I have not yet tested this 
plan so thoroughly as to be certain that it will succeed ; and I 
know so well, the immense difference between theoretical 
conjectures and practical results, that I consider nothing in 
the bee line, or indeed in any other, as established, until it 
has been submitted to the most rigorous demonstration, and 
has triumphantly passed from the mere regions of the brain, to 
those of actual fact. A theory on any subject may seem so 
plausible as almost to amount to positive demonstration, and 
yet when put to the working test, may be encumbered by 
some unforeseen difficulty, which speedily convinces even its 
sanguine projector, that it has no practical value. Nine 
things out of ten, may work to a charm, and yet the tenth 
may be so connected with the other nine, that its failure 
renders their success of no account. When I first used this 
Nursery, I did not give the bees access to it| and I found that 
the queens were not properly developed, and died in their 
cells. Perhaps they did not receive sufficient warmth, or 
were not treated in some other important respects, as they 
would have been, if left under the care of the bees. 
In the multiplicity of ,nny experiments, 1 did not repeat this 
one under a sufficient variety of circumstances, to ascertain 
the precise cause of failure ; nor have I as yet, tried whether 
it will answer perfectly, by admitting the bees to the queen 
cells." 

Since writing the above, I have found that this Nursery 
answers perfectly the end designed, by giving the workers 
access to the young queens. Where rapid multiplication, 
however, is attempted, the nucleus system will ordinarily be 
found the besi, for securing a sufficient number of young 
queens. If the Apiarian pursues the common swarming 
plan, he will often find it to his advantage, when hiving after- 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 239 

swarms, or returning them to the old stocks, to catch the 
supernumerary queens, and confine them in any of his small 
honey boxes, with about a pint of workers to each. These 
small colonies may be put in any shady place, apart from 
the other stocks ; their queens will soon become fertile, and 
may be easily caught, if needed for any purpose. 

I often make one queen supply several hives with eggs, so as 
to keep them all strong in numbers, and yet constantly engag- 
ed in rearing a large number of spare queens. Two hives 
which I shall call A and B, are deprived at intervals of a week, 
each of its queen,* in order to induce them to raise a num- 
ber of young sealed queens, for the use of the Apiary. As 
soon as the queens in A, are of an age suitable to be removed, 
I take them away, and give the colony a fertile queen from 
another hive, C ; when she has laid a large number of eggs 
in the empty cells, I remove the sealed queens from B, and 
give it the loan of this fertile mother, until she has performed 
the same useful office for them. By this time, the queen 
cells in C, are sealed over ; these are now removed, and the 
queen restored ; she has thus made one circuit, and laid a 
very large number of eggs, in the two hives which were first 
deprived of their queens. After allowing her to replenish 
her own hive with eggs, I send her out again, on her per- 
ambulating mission, and by this new device am able to get 
an extraordinary number of young queens from the three 
hives, and at the same time preserve their numbers from 
seriously diminishing. Two queens may in this way, be 
made in six hives, to furnish all the supernumerary queens 
which will be wanted in quite a large Apiary. 

It must be obvious to every intelligent Apiarian, that the 

* The queens taken from such hives, may be advantageously used 
informing artificial colonies. 



240 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 

perfect control of the comb, is the soul of an entirely new 
system of practical management, which may be modified to 
suit the wants of all who cultivate bees. Even the advocate 
of the Old fashioned plan of killing the bees, can with one 
of my hives, destroy his faithful laborers, by shaking them 
into a tub of water, almost, if not quite, as speedily as by 
setting them over a sulpher pit ; while when he has accom- 
plished the work of death, his honey will be free from dis- 
gusting fumes, and all the labor of cutting it out of the hive, 
may be dispensed with. At the same time, he will have in 
reserve for future use, much empty worker-comb, which will 
be worth far more for new swarms, the coming season, 
than to be melted into wax. 

I am now prepared to answer an objection which doubtless 
has been present in the minds of many, all the time that 
they have been reading the various processes on which I 
rely, for the artificial multiplication of colonies. A very 
large number of persons who keep bees, or who wish to 
keep them, are so much afraid of them, that they object 
entirely even to natural swarming, because they are in dan- 
ger of being stung, in the process of hiving the bees. How 
are such persons to manage bees on a plan, which seems 
like bearding a lion in its very den ! The truth is, that some 
persons are so very timid, or suffer so dreadfully from the 
sting of a bee, that they are every way disqualified from 
having anything to do with them, and ought either to have 
no bees upon their premises, or to entrust the care of them 
to others. By managing bees according to the directions 
furnished in this treatise, almost any one can learn, by using 
a bee-dress, to superintend them, with very litlle risk ; while 
those who are favorites with them, may dispense entirely 
with any protection. I find, in short, that the risk of being 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 2A 

stung, is really diminished by the use of my hives; although 
it will be hard to convince those who have not seen them in 
use, that this can be so. 

There is still another class, who are anxiously inquiring 
for some new hive or plan, by which, with little or no trouble, 
they may reap copious harvests of the luscious nectar. This 
is emphatically the class to seize hold of every new device, 
and waste their time and money, to fill the coffers of the 
ignorant or unprincipled. There never will be a " royal 
road " to profitable bee-keeping. Like all other branches of 
rural economy, it demands care and experience, for its pro- 
fitable management ; and those who have a painful con- 
sciousness that the disposition to put off and neglect, was, so 
to speak, born with them, and has never been got out of 
them, will do well to let bees alone, unless they hope, by 
the study of their systematic industry, to reform evil habits 
which are well nigh incurable. 

While I feel sanguine that my system of management 
will ultimately be used very extensively, by skillful Apiari- 
ans,* I know too much of the world to expect that it will, 
with the masses, very speedily supersede other methods, 
even if it were so perfect, as to admit of no possible im- 
provement. There is an inherent difficulty in rapidly intro- 
ducing any system of management, however valuable, whick 
is much in advance of the knowledge possessed by the 
great mass of those whose attention is called to it ; while 
devices worse than useless, which pander to the ignorance^ 

* The very day on which I contrived the plan, so perfectly simple^ 
and yet efficacious, of gaining control of the combs by these frames, I 
not only foresaw the consequences which would follow their adoption, 
but wrote as follows, in my Bee- Journal. " The use of these frames 
will, I am persuaded, give a new impulse to the easy and profitable 
management of bees ; and will render the making of artificial sw>arfn<i 
®ffi easy operation." 

21 



242 ENEMIES OE BEES. 

conceit, or credulity of the pubiic, often find the readiest 
purchasers. To describe a tithe of the wonders of the bee- 
hive, even those most thoroughly demonstrated, is, in the 
estimation of many of the oldest bee-keepers, to deserve the 
name of a fool, a liar, or a cheat. 



CHAPTER XIL 

The Bee-Moth, and other Enemies of Bees. Diseases of Bees-, 

Of all the numerous enemies of the honey-bee, the Bee- 
Moth, (Tinea mellonella,) in climates of hot Summers, is by 
far, the most to be dreaded. So wide spread and fatal have 
been its ravages in this country, that thousands have aban- 
doned the cultivation of bees in despair, and in districts 
which once produced abundant supplies of the purest honey, 
bee-keeping has become a very insignificant pursuit. Con- 
trivances almost without number, have been devised, to 
defend the bees against this insidious foe, but still it continues 
its desolating inroads, almost unchecked, laughing as it were 
10 scorn, at all the so-called " moth-proof" hives, and turn- 
ing many of the ingenious fixtures designed to entrap 
or exclude it, into actual aids and comforts in its nefarious 
designs. 

I should feel but little confidence in being able to make 
bee-keeping, in our country, a certain and profitable pursuit^ 
if I could not show the Apiarian in what way he may safely 
bid defiance lo the pestiferous assaults of this," his most im- 
placable enemy. Having patiently studied its habits for 
years, T am at length able to announce a system of manage- 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 248 

ment founded, in part, upon the peculiar construction of my 
hives, which will enable the careful bee-keeper to protect 
his colonies against the enemy. The careful bee-keeper, I 
say ; for to pretend that the careless one, can, by any con- 
trivance, effect this, is " a snare and a delusion ;" and no 
well-informed man, unless steeped to the very lips, in fraud 
and imposture, will claim to accomplish anything of the 
kind. The bee-moth infests our Apiaries, just as weeds 
take possession of a fertile soil ; and the negligent bee- 
keeper will find a "moth-proof" hive, when the sluggard 
finds a iveed-proof soil. Before explaining the means upon 
which I rely, to circumvent the moth, I will give a brief 
description of its habits, 

Swammerdam, towards the close of the 17th century, 
gave an accurate description of this insect, which was then 
called by the expressive name of the " bee-wolf." He has 
furnished good drawings of it, in all its changes, from the 
worm to the perfect moth, together with the peculiar webs 
or galleries which it constructs, and from which the name of 
Tinea Galleria, or gallery moth, has been given to it by 
some entomologists. He failed, however, to discriminate 
between the male and the female, which, because they differ 
so much in size and appearance, he supposed to be two dif- 
ferent species of the wax-moth. It seems to have been a 
great pest in his time ; and even Virgil speaks of the "dirum 
tineee genus," the dreadful offspring of the moth ; that is the 
worm. 

This destroyer usually makes its appearance about the hives, 
in April or May ; the time of its coming, depending upon 
the warmth of the climate, or the forwardness of the season. 
It is seldom seen on the wing, unless startled from its lurking 
place about the hive, until towards dark, and is evidently, 
chiefly nocturnal in its habits. In cloudy days, however, I 



244 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

have noticed it on the wing long before sunset, and on sucb 
days, the female, when oppressed with the urgent necessity 
of laying her eggs, may be seen endeavoring to gain admis- 
sion to the hives. She is much larger than the male, and 
" her color is deeper, and more inclining to a darkish gray, 
with small spots or blackish streaks on the interior edge of her 
upper wings." The color of the male inclines more to a light 
gray ; they are so unlike that they might easily be mistaken 
for different species of moths. These insects are surpris- 
ingly agile, both on foot and on the wing ; the motions of 
a bee being very slow, in comparison. "They are," says 
Reaumur, " the most nimble-footed creatures that I know." 

" If the approach to the Apiary* be observed of a moon- 
light evening, the moths will be found flying or running 
round the hives, watching an opportunity to enter, whilst the 
bees that have to guard the entrances against their intrusion, 
will be seen acting as vigilant sentinels, performing continual 
rounds near this important post, extending their antennse to 
the utmost, and moving them to the right and left alternately. 
Woe to the unfortunate moth that comes within their reach !" 
*' It is curious," says Huber, " to observe how artfully the 
moth knows how to profit, to tlie disadvantage of the bees, 
which require much light for seeing objects; and the precau- 
tions taken by the latter in reeonnoitering and expelling so 
dangerous an enemy." 

The entrance of the moth into a hive, and the ravages 
committed by her progeny, forcibly illustrate the sad havoc 
which vice often makes of character and happiness, when it 
finds admission into the human heart, and is allowed to prey 
unchecked, upon all its most precious treasures ; and he who 
would not be so enslaved by its power, as to lose all spiritual 

*B.eYan. 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 245 

life and prosperity, must be ever on the " watch " against its 
fatal intrusions. 

Only some liny eggs are deposited by the moth, giving 
birth to a very delicate, innocent-looking worm ; but let 
these apparently insignificant creatures once get the upper 
hand, and all the fragrance of the honied dome, is soon 
corrupted by their abominable stench ; everything beautiful 
and useful, is ruthlessly destroyed ; the hum of happy 
industry is stilled, and at last, nothing is left in the des- 
ecrated hive, but a set of ravenous, half famished worms, 
knotting and writhing around each other, in most loathsome 
convolutions. .. 

Wax is the proper food of the larvse of the bee-moth r 
and upon this seemingly indigestible substance, they thrive 
and fatten. When obliged to steal their living, a& best they 
can, among a powerful stock of bees, they are exposed, 
during their growth, to many perils, and seldom fare well 
enough to reach their natural size ; but when rioting at 
pleasure, among the full combs of a feeble and discouraged 
population, they often attain a size and corpulence truly 
astonishing. If the bee-keeper wishes to see their innate 
capabilities fully developed, let him rear a number for him- 
self, among some old combs, and if prizes were ofiered for 
fat and full grown worms, he might easily obtain one. In 
the course of a few weeks, the larva, like that of the silk 
worm, stops eating, and begins to think of a suitable place 
for encasing itself in its silky shroud. In hives where they 
reign unmolested, this is a work of but little difficulty ; al- 
most any place will answer their purpose, and they often 
pile their cocoons^ one on another, or join them in long rows 
together ; but in hives strongly guarded by healthy bees, 
this is a rnatter not very easily accomplished ; and many a 
worm while it is cautiously prying about, to find a snug 
21* 



246 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

place in which to ensconce iiself, is caught by the nape of 
the neck, and very unceremoniously served with an instant 
writ of ejectment from the hive. If a hive is thoroughly 
made, of sound materials, and has no cracks or crevices 
under which the worm can retreat, being obliged to leave 
the interior in search of a suitable place, it runs a most dan- 
gerous gauntlet, as it passes, for this purpose, through the 
ranks of its enraged foes. Even in the worm state, how- 
ever, its motions are exceedingly quick j it can crawl back- 
wards or forwards, and as well one way as another ; it can 
twist round on itself, curl up almost into a knot, and flatten 
itself out like a pancake ! in short, it is full of stratagems 
and cunning devices. If obliged to leave the, hive, it gets 
under any board or concealed crack, spins its cocoon, and 
patiently awaits its transformation. In most of the common 
hives, it is under no necessity of leaving its birth place for 
this purpose, being almost certain to find a crack or flaw 
into which it can creep, or a small space between the bottom 
board and the edges of the hive which rest upon it. A very 
srhall crevice will answer, as it enters, by flattening iiself 
almost as much as though it had been passed under a roller, and 
as soon as safe from the bees, speedily begins to give its 
cramped tenement, the requisite proportions. It is amazing, 
how an insect apparently so feeble, can do this ; but it will 
often gnaw for itself a cavity, even in solid wood, and thus 
enlarge its retreat, until it has ample room for making its 
cocoon ! The time when it will break forth into a winged 
imsect. varies with the temperature to which it is exposed. 
In a temperature of about 70°, I have had them spin their 
cocoons, and hatch in ten or eleven days ; and they often 
spin so late in the Fall, that they remain all Winter, unde- 
Teloped, and if they survive the cold, do not emerge until 
rjie warm weather of the ensuing Spring. 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 247 

If they are hatched in the hive, they leave it, to attend to 
the business of impregnation. In the moth state, they do 
not attack the hives, to plunder them of food, although having 
a " sweet tooth " in their head, they are easily attracted by 
the odor of liquid sweets. The male, having no special 
business in the hive, usually keeps himself at a safe distance 
from the bees ; but the female, impelled by an irresistible 
instinct, seeks admission, that she may deposit her eggs 
where her offspring can gain the readiest access to their 
natural food. She carefully explores the cracks and crevices 
about the bottom-board, and lays her eggs among the parings 
of the combs, and other refuse matter which have fallen from 
the hive. If she enters a feeble or discouraged slock, where 
she can act her own pleasure, she will lay her eggs among 
the combs. In a hive where she is too closely watched to- 
effect this, she will insert them in the corners, into the soft 
propolis, or in any place where there are small pieces of wax 
and bee-bread, which having fallen upon the bottom-board^ 
furnish a temporary place of concealment for her progeny,- 
and also the requisite nourishment, until they have strengtli 
and enterprise enough to reach the main combs of the hive^ 
and fortify themselves there. " As soon as hatched,* the 
w^orm encloses itself in a case of white silk, which it spins- 
around its body ; at first it is like a mere thread, but gradu- 
ally increases in size, and during its growth, feeds upon the 
cells around it, for which purpose it has only to put forth its 
head, and find its wants supplied. It devours its food with 
great avidity, and consequently increases so much in bulk, 
that its gallery soon becomes too short and narrow, and the 
creature is obliged to thrust itself forward and lengthen the 
gallery, as well to obtain more room as to procure an addi- 

* Bevan, 



48 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

tional supply of food. lis augmented size exposing it to 
attacks from surrounding foes, the wary insect fortifies its 
new abode with additional strength and thickness, by blend- 
ing with the filaments of its silken covering, a mixture of 
wax and its own excrement, for the external barrier of a 
new gallery, the interior and partitions of which are lined 
with a smooth surface of white silk, v/hich admits the occa- 
sional movements of ihe insect, without injury to its deli- 
cate (?) texture. In performing these operations, the insect 
might be expected to meet with opposition from the bees, 
and to be gradually rendered more assailable as it advanced 
in age. It never, however, exposes any part but its head 
and neck, both of v.'hich are covered with stout helmets or 
scales impenetrable to the sting of a bee, as is the composi- 
tion of the galleries that surround it." As soon as it has 
reached its full growth, it seeks in the manner before de- 
scribed, a secure place for undergoing its changes into a 
winged insect. 

Before describing howl protect my hives from this deadly 
pest, I shall first shov/ why the bee-moth has so wonderfully 
increased in numbers in this country, and how the use of 
patent hives has so powerfully contributed to encourage its 
ravages. It ought to be borne in mind that our climate is 
altogether more propitious to its rapid increase, than that of 
Great Britain, Our intensely hot summers develop insect 
life most rapidly and powerfully, and those parts of our 
country where the heat is most protracted and intense, have, 
as a general thing, suffered most from the devastations of 
the bee-moth. 

The honey bee is not a native of the American continent, 
but was brought here by colonists from Great Britain, and 
was called by the Indians, the white man's fly. Longfellow, 
in his " Song of Hiawatha," in describing the advent of the 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 249 

European to the New World, makes his Indian warrior 

say : 

" Wheresoe'er they move, before them 
Swarms the stinging fly, the Ahmo, 
Swarms the bee, the honey-maker; 
Wheresoe'er they tread, beneath them 
Springs a flower unknown among us, 
Springs the White man's Foot in blossom."* 

With the bee, was introduced its natural enemy, created for 
the special purpose, not of destroying the insect, on whose 
industry it thrives, and whose extermination would be fatal 
to the moth itself, but that it might gain its livelihood, as best 
it could, in this busy world. Finding itself in a country 
whose climate is exceedingly propitious to its rapid increase, 
it has multiplied and increased a thousand fold, until now 
there is hardly a spot where bees inhabit, which is not 
infested by its powerful enemy. 

I have often listened to glowing accounts of the vast supplies 
of honey obtained by the first settlers, from their bees. 
Fifty years ago, the markets in our large cities were much 
more abundantly supplied than they now are, and it was no 
uncommon thing, to see, exposed for sale, large washing- 
tubs filled with beautiful honey. Various reasons have been 
assigned for the present depressed state of Apiarian pursuits. 
An old German adage, runs thus : 

^'Bells' ding dong, 

And choral song, 

Deter the bee 

From industry : 

But hoot of owl, 

And " wolf's long howl," 

Incite to moil 

And steady toil." 

In accordance with this, many, at the present time, con- 
tend that newly settled countries, are altogeter most favorable 

*The white clover, a plant unknown to the aborigines. 



250 ENEMIES OF liEES. 

lo the labors of the bee : others, that we have overstocked 
our farms with bees, so that they cannot find sufficient food. 
That neither of these reasons will account for the change, I 
shall prove more at length, in my remarks on Honey, and 
when I discuss the question of overstocking a district with 
bees. Others lay all the blame upon the bee moth, and others 
still, upon our departure from the good old-fashioned way of 
managing bees. That the bee-moth has multiplied astonish- 
ingly, is undoubtedly true. In many districts, it so supera- 
bounds, that the man who should expect to manage bees with 
as little care as his father and grandfather bestowed upon 
them, and yet realize as large profits, would find himself 
wofully mistaken. The old bee-keeper often never loooked 
at his bees, after swarming season, until the time came for 
appropriating their spoils. He then carefully " hefted" his 
hives, so as to be able to judge as well as he could, how 
much honey they contained. All which were judged too 
light to survive the Winter, he at once condemned ; and if 
any were deficient in bees, or, for any other reason, appear- 
ed to be of doubtful promise, they were, in like manner, 
sentenced to the sulphur pit. A certain number of those con- 
taining the largest supplies of honey, were also treated in the 
same summary way ; while the requisite number of the very 
hesl^ were reserved to replenish his stock another season. 
If the same system precisely, were now followed, a number 
of colonies would still perish annually, through the increased 
devastations of the moth. 

The change which has taken place in the circumstances 
of the bee-keeper, may be well illustrated, by supposing that 
when a country was first settled, weeds were almost un- 
known. The farmer plants his corn, and then lets it alone, 
and as there are no weeds to molest it, at the end of the 
season he harvests a fair crop. Suppose, however, that in 



E57EMIES OF BEES. 251 

process of time^ the weeds begin to spread more and more^ 
until at last, this farmer's son or grandson finds that they 
entirely choke his corn, and that he cannot, in the old way, 
obtain a remunerating crop. Now listen to him, as he 
gravely informs you that he cannot tell how it is, but corn 
with him has all " run out." He manages it precisely as his 
father or grandfather always managed his, but somehow 
the pestiferous weeds will spring up, and he has next to no 
crops. Perhaps you can hardly, in such a case, conceive of 
such transparent ignorance and stupidity ; but it would be dif- 
ficult to show that it would be one whit greater, than that of a 
large number who keep bees, in places where the bee-moth 
abounds, and yet imagine that those plans which answered 
perfectly well, fifty or a hundred years ago, when moths 
were scarce, will answer equally well now. 

If however, the old plan had been rigidly adhered to, the 
ravages of the bee-moth would never have been so great as 
they now are. The Imroduchon of patent hives has con- 
tributed most powerfully, to fill the land with the devouring 
pest. I am perfectly aware that this is a bold assertion, and 
that it may, at first sight, appear to be uncourteous, if not 
unjust, to the many intelligent and ingenious Apiarians, who 
have devoted much time, and spent large sums of miOney, in 
perfecting hives designed to enable the bee-keeper to contend 
most successfully against his worst enemy. As I do not wish 
to treat such persons, with even the appearance of disrespect, 
I shall endeavor to showjust how the use of the hives which 
they have devised, has contributed to undermine the prosperi- 
ty of the bees. Some of these hives have valuable properties, 
and if they were always used in strict accordance with the 
enlightened directions of those who have invented them, they 
would undoubtedly be real and substantial improvements 
over the old box or straw hive, and would materially aid the 



252 ENEMIES OP BEES. 

bee-keeper in his contest with the moth. The great difficulty 
is, that they are none of them, able to give him the facilities 
which alone can make him completely victorious. No hive, 
as I shall soon show, can ever do this, which does not give 
the complete and easy control of all the combs. 

I do not know of a single improved hive which does not 
aim at entirely dispensing, with the old-fashioned plan of 
killing the bees. Such a practice is denounced as being al- 
most as cruel and silly as to kill a hen for the sake of 
obtaining her feathers or a few of her eggs. Now, if the 
Apiarian can be furnished with suitable instructions, and 
such as he will practice, for managing his bees so as to 
avoid this necessity, then I admit the full force of all the ob- 
jections which have been urged against it, and should be glad 
to see the following epitaph, taken from a German work, 
placed on every pit of brimstoned bees. 

HERE RESTS 

CUT OFF FROM USEFUL LABOR, 

a COLONY of 

INDUSTRIOUS BEES, 

BASELY MURDERED 

by its 

UNeRATEFUL AND IG-NORANT 

OWNER. 

I have never read the beautiful verses of the poet Thomp* 
son, without feeling all their force : 

" Ah, see, where robbed and murdered in that pit 
Lies the still heaving hive ! at evening snatched, 
Beneath the cloud of guilt-concealing night, 
And fixed o'er sulphur ! while, not dreaming ill, 
The happy people, in their waxen cells, 
Sat tending pulilic cares ; 
Sudden, the dark oppressive steam ascends, 
And, used to milder scents, the tender race, 
By thousands, tumble from their honied dome ! 
Into a gulf of blue sulphureous flame.'' 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 253 

The plain matter of fact, however, is, that in our country, 
almost as many bees in proportion to the stocks kept, die of 
starvation in their hives, as ever were killed by the fumes of 
sulphur. Commend me rather to the humanity of the old-fash- 
ioned bee-keeper, who put to a speedy and therefore more 
merciful death, the poor bees which are now, by millions, 
tortured by slow starvation among their empty combs ! 

If the use of the common patent hives could only keep the 
stocks strong in numbers, and if bee-keepers would al- 
ways see that they were well supplied with honey, then I 
admit that to kill the bees would be both cruel and unnecessa- 
ry. Such however, are the discouragements and losses 
necessarily attending the use of any hive which does not give 
the control of the combs, that there are few who do not 
continually find, that some of their stocks are too feeble, to 
be worth the labor and expense of an attempt to preserve 
them over Winter. How many colonies are annually winter- 
ed, which are not only of no value to their owner, but are 
positive nuisances in his Apiary ; being so feeble, in the 
Spring, that they are speedily overcome by the moth, and 
serve, only to breed a horde of destroyers, to assail the rest 
of his Apiary. The time spent upon them, is often as abso» 
lutely wasted, as the time devoted to an animal so incurably 
diseased that it can never be of any service, while by 
nursing it along, its owner incurs the risk of infecting his 
whole stock with its deadly taint. If, on the score of kind- 
ness, he should shut it up, and let it starve to death, few of 
us, I imagine, would care to cultivate a very intimate ac- 
quaintance with one so extremely original in the exhibition 
of his humanity ! 

Ever since the introduction of patent hives, the notion has 
almost universally prevailed, that stocks must not, under anjf 
circumstances, be voluntarily broken up ; and hence, instead 
22 



254 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

of Apiaries, filled in the Spring, with strong and healthy 
stocks of bees, easily able to protect themselves against the 
bee-moth, and all other enemies, we have multitudes of 
colonies, which, if they had been kept on purpose to furnish 
food for the worms, could scarcely have answered a more 
valuable end, in encouraging their increase. The simple 
truth is, that improved hives, without an improved system of 
management, have done on the whole more harm than good ; 
in no country have they been so extensively used as in our 
own, and no where has the moth so completely gained the 
ascendency. Just so far as they have discouraged bee- 
keepers from the old plan of killing off all their weak swarms 
in the Fall, just so far have they extended "aid and comfort" 
to the moth, and made the condition of the bee-keeper worse 
than it was before. That some of them might be so managed 
as in all ordinary cases, to give the bees complete protection 
against the moth, I do not, for a moment, question ; but that 
they cannot, from the very nature of the case, answer fully 
in all emergencies, the ends for which they were designed, 
I shall endeavor to prove and not to assert. 

The kind of hives of which I have been speaking, are 
such as have been devised by intelligent and honest men, 
practically acquainted with the management of bees : as for 
many of the " swindle-traps" which have been introduced, 
they not only afford the Apiarian no assistance against the 
inroads of the bee-moth, but are so constructed as positively 
to assist its nefarious designs. The more they are used, the 
worse off, are the poor bees : just as the more a man uses the 
lying nostrums of the brazen-faced quack, the further he 
finds himself from health and vigor. 

I once met with an intelligent man who told me that he 
had paid a considerable sum, to a person who professed to 
be in possession of many valuable secrets in the manage- 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 255 

ment of bees, and who promised, among other things, to 
impart to him an infallible remedy against the bee-moth. 
On the receipt of the money, he gravely told him that the 
secret of keeping the moth out of the hive, was to keep the 
stocks strong and vigorous ! A truer declaration he could not 
have made, but I believe that the bee-keeper felt, notv\rith- 
standing, that he had been imposed upon, as outrageously, 
as a poor man would be, who after paying a quack a large 
sum of money, for an infallible, life-preserving secret, should 
be turned off with the truism, that the secret of living for- 
ever, was to keep well ! 

There is not an intelligent Apiarian who has been in the 
habit of carefully examining the operations of bees, not only 
in his own Apiary, but wherever he could find them, who 
has not seen strong slocks flourishing under almost any con- 
ceivable circumstances. They may be seen in hives of the 
most miserable construction, unpainted and unprotected, 
sometimes with large open cracks and clefts extending down 
their sides, and yet laughing to defiance, the bee-moth, and 
all other adverse influences. 

Almost any thing hollow, in which bees have established 
themselves, will often be successfully tenanted by them for a 
series of years. To see such hives, as they sometimes may 
be seen, in possession of persons both ignorant and careless, 
and who hardly know a bee-moth from any other kind of 
moth, may at first sight well shake the confidence of the in- 
quirer, in the necessity or value of any particular precau- 
tions to preserve his hives from the devastations of the moth. 

After looking at these powerful stocks in what may be 
called log-cabin hives, let us examine others in the most 
costly hives, which have ever been constructed ; in wjiat 
have been called real "Bee-Palaces ;" and we shall often find 
them weak and impoverished, infested and almost devour- 



236 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

€d by the worms. Their owner, with books in his hand, and 
all the newest devices in the Apiarian line, unable to protect his 
bees against their enemies, or to account for the reason why 
some hives appear, like the children of the poor, almost to 
thrive upon ill-treatment and neglect, while others, like the 
offspring of the rich and powerful, are feeble and diseased, 
apparently in exact proportion to the means used to guard 
them against noxious influences, and to minister most lavishly 
to all their wants. 

I used formerly to be much surprised to hear so many bee- 
keepers speak of having " good luck," or " bad luck," with 
their bees ; but really as bees are generally managed, success 
or failure does seem to depend, almost entirely, upon what 
the ignorant or superstitious are wont to call " luck." 

I shall now attempt what I have never yet seen satisfac» 
torily done by any writer on bees ; namely, to show exactly 
under what circumstances the bee-moth succeeds in estab- 
lishing itself in a hive ; thus explaining why some stocks 
iilourish in spite of all neglect while others fall a prey to the 
moth, let their owner be as careful as he will. I shall finally 
show how, in suitable hives, and with proper precautions, it 
may always be kept from seriously annoying the bees. 

It often happens, when a large number of stocks are kept, 
ihat in spite of all precautions, some of them are found in 
the Spring, so greatly reduced in numbers, that if left to 
themselves, they are in danger of falling a prey to the de- 
vouring moth. Bees, when in feeble colonies, seem often to 
lose a portion of their wonted vigilance, and as they have a 
large quantity of empty comb which they cannot guard, 
even if they would, the moth enters the hive, and deposits a 
la»ge number of eggs, and thus, before the bees have become 
sufficiently numerous to protect themselves, the combs are 
filled with worms, and the destruction of the colony speedily 



ENEMIES OE BEES. 257 

follows. The ignorant or careless bee-keeper is informed 
of the ravages which are going on in such a hive, only when 
its ruin is fully completed, and a cloud of winged pests issues 
from it, to destroy if they can, the rest of his stocks. 

But how, it may be asked, can it be ascertained that a 
hive is seriously infested with the all-devouring worms ? 
The aspect of the bees, so discouraged and forlorn, |^ro- 
claims at once that there is trouble of some kind within. If 
the hive be slightly elevated, the bottom. board will be found 
covered with pieces of bee-bread, &;c., mixed with the eoccre- 
ment of the worms, which looks almost exactly like fine grains 
of powder. As the bees in Spring, clean out their combs, 
and prepare the cells for the reception of brood, their bottom- 
board will often be so covered with parings of comb, and 
small pieces of bee-bread, that the colony may appear to be 
in danger of being destroyed by the worms. If, however, 
few or none of the Mack excrement is perceived, the refuse 
on the botom-board, like the shavings in a carpenter's shop, 
are proofs of industry, and not the signs of approaching ruin. 

In the early part of the season, before the hive is replen- 
ished with bees, the Apiarian should assist them in keeping 
their bottom-boards clean. In the common hive this may 
easily be effected, by blowing a little smoke into the entrance, 
to cause the bees to retreat to their combs ; the bottom-board 
may then be removed, and effectually cleansed. The man- 
ner in which this is done, in the movable-comb hive will be 
subsequently explained. 

The most careful. and experienced Apiarian will find, too 
often, that although he is well aware of the plague that is 
reigning within, his knowledge can be turned to no good ac- 
count, the interior of his hive being almost as inaccessible as 
the interior of the human body ; whereas, in my hives, it can 
always be ascertained, as soon as the weather is warm 
22» 



258 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

enough to open them, whether a feeble colony has a fertile 
queen, and precautions can be taken at once to give it the 
strength which is indispensable, not merely to its safety, but 
to iis ability for any kind of successful labor. 

As a certain number of bees are needed in a hive, as well 
to warm and hatch the thousands of eggs which a healthy 
queen can lay, as to feed and properly develop the larvae 
after they are hatched, it is evident that a feeble colony 
must remain so for a long time, unless it can at once be 
supplied with a considerable accession of numbers. Even 
if there were no moths in existence, to trouble such a hive, it 
would not be able to rear a large number of bees, until after 
the best of the honey-harvest had passed away : and then it 
would become powerful, only that its increasing numbers 
might devour the food, which the others had previously 
stored in the cells. 

ff a small colony has a considerable number of bees, and 
is able to cover and warm, at least one comb, in addition to 
those containing brood which they already have, I take from 
one of my strong stocks, a frame, having three or four thou- 
sand or more young bees, which are almost ready to emerge 
from their cells. These bees which require no food, and 
need nothing but warmth to develop them, will, in a few 
days, hatch in the new hive to which they are given, and 
thus the requisite number of workers, in the full vigor and 
energy of youth, will be furnished to the hive, and the dis- 
couraged queen, finding at once a suitable number of nurses* 
to take charge of her eggs, deposits them in the proper cells, 
instead of simply extruding them, to be devoured by the bees. 
While bees often attack full grown strangers which are in- 
troduced into their hive, they never fail lo receive gladly all 

* A bee^ a few days after it is hatched, is as fully competent for its 
duties, as it ever will be, at any subsequent period of its life. 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 259 

the brood comb that we choose to give them. If they are 
sufficiently numerous, they will always cherish it, and in 
warm weather, will protect it, even if it is laid against the 
outside of their hive ! 

If the bees in 4he weak stock, are too much reduced in 
numbers, to be able to cover the brood comb taken from 
another hive, I give them this comb with all the old bees that are 
clustered upon it, and shut up the hive, after supplying them 
with water, until two or three days have passed away. By this 
time, most of the strange bees will have formed an inviolable 
attachment to their new home, and even if a portion of them 
should return to the parent hive, a large number of the ma- 
turing young will have hatched, to supply their desertion, 
A little sugar-water scented with peppermint, may be used 
to sprinkle the bees, at the time that the comb is introduced, 
although I have never yet found that they had the least dis- 
position, to quarrel with each other. The original settlers 
are only too glad to receive such a valuable accession to their 
scanty numbers, while the expatriated bees are too much 
confounded by their unexpected emigration, to feel any de- 
sire for making a disturbance. If a sufficient increase of 
numbers has not been furnished by one range of comb, the 
operation may, in the course of a few days, be repeated, and 
if judiciously performed, ihe colony will be powerful in num- 
bers, long before the weather is warm enough to develop the 
bee-moth, and will thus be effectually protected from the 
hateful pest. If the Apiarian has not the means of reinforc- 
ing a feeble colony, he may save its empty combs from the 
ravages of the moth, by removing them, on their frames, from 
the hive, and returning them, when the colony has increased 
so as to be able to defend them. 

A very simple change in the organization of the bee-moth 
would have rendered it, almost if not quite, impossible for the 



260 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

bees to protect themselves from its ravages. If it had been 
constituted so as to require but a small amount of heat for its 
full development, it would have become exceedingly numer- 
ous, early in the Spring, and might then have easily entered the 
hives, and deposited its eggs among the combs without any 
hindrance ; for at this season, not only is there no guard 
maintained, by the bees, at night, at the entrance of their 
hive, but large portions of their comb being left bare, are 
entirely unprotected. How does every fact in the history 
of the bee, when properly investigated, point with unerring 
certainty, to the power, wisdom, and goodness of Him who 
made it ! 

If there is reason to apprehend that the combs which are 
not occupied with brood, contain any of the eggs of the 
moth, these combs may be removed, and smoked with the 
fumes of burning sulphur ; and then, in a few days, after 
they have been exposed to the fresh air, returned to the hive. 
By soaking them in clean water, for a day, they will be 
cleansed, and the eggs or larvae of the moth effectually de- 
stroyed. After removing them from the water, and care- 
fully shaking out all that you can, hang them where they 
will thoroughly dry. If not Returned to the care of the 
bees, they should be kept in a clean and dry place, out of 
the reach of the moth. 

Bees, as is well known to every experienced bee-keeper, 
frequently swarm so often as to endanger their destruction 
by the moth. When the after-swarms have left, the parent 
colony often contains too few bees to cover and protect their 
combs, from the insidious attacks of their wily enemy. As 
a number of weeks must elapse before the brood of the 
young queen matures, the colony, for a considerable time, 
at the season when the moths are very numerous, is con- 
stantly diminishing in numbers, and often before it can re- 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 261 

plenish the exhausted hive, the destroyer has effected a fata! 
lodgment. 

In the movable-comb hive, such calamities are easily pre- 
vented. If artificial increase is relied upon for the multipli- 
cation of colonies, it can be so conducted, as to give the 
moth no chance to fortify itself in the hive. No colony is 
ever allowed to have more combs than it can cover and pro- 
tect ; and the entrance to the hive may be contracted, if 
neccvssary, so that only a single bee can go in and out, at a 
time, and yet sufficient ventilation be given to the bees. 

If natural swarming is allowed, after-swarms may be 
prevented from issuing, by cutting out all the queen cells but 
one, soon after the first swarm leaves the hive ; or if it is 
desired to have as fast an increase of slocks, as can possibly 
be obtained from natural swarming, then instead of leaving 
the combs in the parent hive to be attacked by the moth, a 
certain portion of them may be taken out, when swarming 
is over, and given to the second and third swarms, to aid in 
building them up into strong stocks. 

I have yet to describe the most fruitful cause of the desolating 
ravages of the bee-moth. If a colony has lost its queen, and 
this loss cannot be supplied, it must, inevitably, unless oth- 
erwise destroyed, fall a sacrifice to the bee-moth : and I do not 
hesitate to assert, that by far the larger portion of colonies 
which are destroyed by it, perish under precisely such circum- 
stances ! Let this be remembered by all who have any- 
thing to do with bees, and let them understand, that unless a 
remedy for the loss of the queen can be provided, they must 
constantly expect to lose some of their best colonies. The 
crafty moth is not so much to blame, after all, as we are apt 
to imagine ; for a colony deprived of its queen, and possess- 
ing no means of securing another, would certainly perish, 
even if never attacked by so deadly an enemy ; just as the 



262 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

body of an animal, when deprived of life, will speedily go 
to decay, even if it is not, at once, devoured by ravenous 
swarms of filthy flies and worms. 

In order to ascertain all the important points connected 
with the habits of the bee-moth, I have purposely deprived 
colonies, in some of my observing hives, of their queen, and 
have closely watched all their proceedings, when thus re- 
duced to a state of despair. I have invariably found that in 
this state, they have made little or no resistance to the en- 
trance of the bee-moth, but have allowed her to deposit her 
eggs, just where she pleased. The worms, after hatching, 
have always appeared to be even more at home than the 
poor dispirited bees themselves, and have grown and thrived 
in the most luxuriant manner. In some instances, these col- 
onies, so far from losing all spirit to resent other intrusions, 
were positively the most vindictive set of bees in the whole 
Apiary. One, especially, assaulted every body that came 
near it, and when reduced in numbers to a mere handful, 
seemed as ready for fight as ever. 

How utterly useless, then, for defending a queenless 
colony against the moth, are all the traps and other devices 
which have, of late years, been so much relied upon. If a 
single female gains admission into such a hive, she will lay 
eggs enough to destroy it in a short time, however strong. 
Under a low estimate, she would lay, at least, two hundred 
eggs in the hive, and the second generation will count by 
thousands, while those of the third will exceed a million. 

Not only do the bees of a hive which is hopelessly queen- 
less, make little or no opposition to the entrance of the bee- 
moth, and the ravages of her progeny, but by their forlorn 
condition, they positively invite the attacks of their de- 
stroyers. The moth seems to have an instinctive knowledge 
of the condition of such a hive, and no art of man can ever 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 263 

keep her out. She will pass by other colonies to get at the 
queenless one, as though she knew that she would there find 
all the necessary conditions for the proper development of 
, her young. 

Among the many mysteries in the insect world, is the 
manner in which the moth arrives at so correct a knowledge 
of the condition of the queenless hives in an Apiary. It is 
certain that such hives very seldom maintain a guard about 
the entrance, and that they do not fill the air with the pleas- 
ant voice of happy industry ; for, even to our dull ears, the 
difference between the hum of the prosperous hive, and the 
unhappy note of the despairing one, is sufficiently obvious : 
may it not be even more so to the acute senses of the 
provident mother, seeking a proper place for the development 
of her young ? 

The unerring sagacity of the moth, closely resembles that 
peculiar instinct by which the vulture, and other birds that 
prey upon carrion, are able to single out from the herd, a 
diseased animal, following it, with their dismal croakings, 
hovering over its head, or sitting in ill-omened flocks, on 
the surrounding trees, watching it as its life ebbs away, and 
stretching out their filthy and naked necks, and opening and 
snapping their blood-thirsty beaks, that they may be all ready 
to tear out its eyes just glazing in death, and banquet on its 
flesh still warm with the blood of life ! Let any fatal acci- 
dent befall an animal, how soon will you see them, first from 
one quarter of the heavens, and then from another, — 



" First a speck and then a Vulture," 

speeding their eager flight to their destined prey, when only 
short time before, not a single one could be seen or heard. 
I have repeatedly seen powerful colonies speedily de- 
voured by the worms, because of the loss of their queen. 



; 



264 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

when they have stood side by side with feeble colonies, 
which, being in possession of a queen, have been left un- 
touched ! 

That the common hives furnish no sure remedy for ihe loss 
of the queen, is well known : indeed, the owner cannot, in 
many cases, be sure that his bees are queenless, until their 
destruction is certain, while not unfrequently, after keeping 
bees for many years, he does not even believe that there is 
such a thing as a queen bee ! In the Chapter on the Loss of 
the Queen, I shall show how this loss may be ascertained, and 
ordinarily remedied, and thus the colony be protected from 
that calamity, which, more than all others, exposes them to 
destruction. 

When a colony has become hopelessly queenless, then, 
moth or no moth, its destruction is certain. Even if the 
bees retained their wonted industry in gathering stores, and 
their usual energy in defending themselves against their 
enemies, their ruin could only be delayed, for a short time. 
In a few months, they would all die a natural death, and 
there being none to replace them, the hive would be utterly 
depopulated. Occasionally, such instances occur, where the 
bees have all died, and large stores of honey have been found 
untouched in their hives. This, however, but seldom hap- 
pens : for they rarely escape from the assaults of other colo- 
nies, even if afler the death of their queen, they do not fall a 
prey to the bee-moth. A motherless hive is almost always as- 
saulted by stronger stocks, which seem to have an instinctive 
knowledge of its orphanage, and hasten at once, to take pos- 
session of its spoils. If it escape the Scylla of these pitiless 
plunderers, it is soon dashed upon a more merciless Charyb- 
dis, when the miscreant moths have ascertained its destitu- 
tion. Every year, large numbers of hives are bereft of 
their queen, most of which are either robbed by other bees, 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 265 

or sacked by the bee-moth, or first robbed, and afterwards 
sacked, while their owner imputes all the mischief to some- 
thing else than the real cause. He might just as well im- 
agine that the carrion birds or worms, which are devouring 
a dead horse, were the primary cause of its untimely end. 
Before the rapid dissemination of the bee-moth, large 
numbers of colonies annually perished, from the loss of their 
queens. Sometimes they were robbed by other stocks, and 
often the bees gradually dwindled away, leaving all their 
stores for their owner. 

In a conversation with Judge Fishback, of Batavia, Ohio, 
a very intelligent and successful bee-keeper, I was informed 
by him, that his experience in bee-keeping began before the 
introduction of the bee-moth into that vicinity ; and that he 
very often lost colonies in both the ways just described. 
The second season after he noticed the appearance of the 
moth, in his Apiary, it proved much more destructive in 
its ravages than at any subsequent period ! T can only ac- 
count for this, by supposing the bees, at first, to be unaware 
of the destructive nature of their new enemy, and to take^ 
on that account, but few precautions to guard against it. 

Huber informs us that his hives, in some seasons, were 
despoiled of their honey by the large death-head moth, 
(Sphinx atropos,) many of which would enter them, and leave 
with a large table-spoonful of honey in their abdomens I I 
received various specimens of honey-eating moths, from 
Ohio, last Summer, all of them much larger than the bee- 
moth. The Apiarian who sent them, spoke of them as no- 
torious pests, consuming often a large portion of the contents 
of his hives. He had often caught them forcing their way 
into weak hives, and found, by examination, that on leaving 
the hive they were gorged with honey. I have never no- 
liced any such about my Apiary, 
23 



266 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

From these remarks, the bee-keeper can gather, in this 
Chapter, the means on which I most rely, to protect my 
colonies from the bee-moth. Knowing that strong stocks 
supplied with a fertile queen, are always able to take care of 
themselves, in almost any kind of hive, I am careful to keep 
them in the state which is found to be so secure. If they 
are weak, they should be properly strengthened, and only as 
much comb given to them, as they can warm and defend : 
and if queenless, they must be supplied with the means of 
repairing their loss, or if that be impossible, they should at 
once be broken up, (See Remarks on Queenlessness,) and 
added to other stocks. 

It cannot be too deeply impressed on the mind of the bee- 
keeper, that a small colony should be confined to a small 
space, if we wish the bees to work with the greatest energy, 
and offer the stoutest resistance to their numerous enem.ies. 
Bees do most unquestionably, " abhor a vacuum," if it is one 
which they can neither fill, warm, nor defend. Let the 
prudent bee-master keep his stocks strong, and they will do 
more to defend themselves against all intruders, than he can 
possibly do for them, even though he spend his whole time 
in watching and assisting ihem. 

:: It is hardly necessary, after the preceding remarks, to say 
much upon the various contrivances to which so many re- 
sort, as a safeguard against the bee-moth. The idea that 
gauze-wire doors, to be shut daily at dusk, and opened again 
at morning, can exclude the moth, will not weigh much with 
one who has seen them flying and seeking admission, 
especially in dull weather, long before the bees have given 
over their work for the day. Even if the moth could be 
excluded by such a contrivance, it would require, on the 
part of those who use it, a regularity almost akin to that of 
the heavenly bodies in their course, and so sytematic, in 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 267 

short, as either to be impossible, or likely to be attained by 
very few. 

A contrivance, exceedingly ingenious to say the least, 
to remedy the necessity for such close supervision, is that 
by which the movable doors of all the hives are governed 
by a long lever in the shape of a hen-roost, so that they 
may all be closed seasonably and regularly, by the crowing 
and cackling tribe, when they go to bed at night, and opened 
again when they fly from their perch, to greet the merry 
morn. Alas ! that so much ingenuity should all be in vain ! 
Chickens are often sleepy, and wish to retire sometime before 
the bees feel that they have completed a full day's work, 
and some of them are so much opposed to early rising, 
either from ill-health, or downright laziness, that they sit 
moping on their roost, long after the cheerful sun has purpled 
the glowing East. Even if this device were perfectly suc- 
cessful, it could not save from ruin, a colony which has lost 
its queen. The truth is, that most of the contrivances on 
which we are instructed to rely, are just about equivalent to 
the lock carefully put upon the stable door, after the horse 
has been stolen ; or to attempts to prevent corruption from 
fastening on the body of an animal, after the breath of life 
has forever departed. 

Are there then no precautions to which we may resort, 
except by using hives which give the control of every 
comb ? Certainly there are, and these precautions shall now 
be described. 

Let the prudent bee-master be deeply impressed with the 
great importance of destroying early in the season, the larvae 
of the bee-moth. " Prevention is," at all times, " better 
than cure :" a single pair of worms permitted to change 
into the winged insect, may give birth to some hundreds,, 
which before the close of the season, may fill the Apiary 



268 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

with thousands of their kind. The destruction of a singf*? 
■worm early in the Spring, may thus be more efficacious than 
that of hundreds at a later period. If the common hives 
are used, they must be sought for in their hiding places, 
under the edges of the hive ; or the hive may be propped 
up, on both ends, with strips of wood, about three-eighths of 
an inch thick ; and a piece of woolen rag put between the 
bottom-board and the back of the hive. Into this warm 
hiding-place, the full grown worm retreating to spin its 
cocoon, may be easily caught, and effectually dealt with. 
Hollow slicks, or split joints of cane may be set under the 
hives, to elevate them, or laid on the bottom-board, and if 
they have a few small openings through which the bees can- 
not enter, the worms will take possession of them, and may 
easily be destroyed. 

Only provide some hollow, easily accessible to the 
worms when they wish to spin, and to yourself when you 
want them, and if the bees are ir^ good condition, so that 
they will not permit the worms to spin among the combs^ 
you can, with ease, entrap nearly all of them. If the hive 
has lost its queen, and the worms have gained possession of 
it, break it up as soon as- possible, unless you prefer to re» 
serve it as a moth breeder, to infest your whole Apiary. 

In the movable-comb hive, blocks of a peculiar construc- 
tion, are used, both to entrap the worms, and exclude the 
moth. The only place where the moth can get into these 
hives, is at the entrance, and this passage may be contracted 
to suit the size of the colony : the very shape of it is such 
that if the molh attempts to force an entrance, she is obliged 
to travel over a space, which, continually narrowing, is more 
and more easily defended by the bees. My traps may be 
slightly elevated, so that the heat and odor of the hive pass 
under them, and come out through small openings, iata 



ENEMIES OP BEES. 269' 

which the moth can enter, but which do not admit her into 
the hive. These openings, which are much like the crevices 
between the common hives and their bottom-boards, the 
moth will enter, rather than attempt to force her way 
through the guards, and finding here the nibblings and par- 
ings of comb and bee-bread, in which her young can flourish,, 
she deposits her eggs in a place where they may be reached 
and destroyed. All this is on the supposition that the hive 
has a healthy queen, and that the bees have no more comb' 
than they can warm and defend. If there are no guards 
and no resistance, or at best but a very feeble one, she will 
not rest in any outer chamber, but will penetrate to the very 
heart of the citadel, and there deposit her seeds of mischief. 
These same blocks have also grooves which communicate- 
with the interior of the hives, and which appear to the 
prowling worm in search of a comfortable nest, the very 
best place, so warm, and snug, and secure, in which to spin- 
its web, and " bide its time." When the hand of the bee- 
master lights upon it, it has reason to feel that it has been, 
caught in its own craftiness. 

If asked how much will such contrivances help the careless 
bee-man, I answer, not one iota ; nay, they will positively 
furnish him greater facilities for destroying his bees. Worm& 
will spin and hatch, and moths will lay their eggs, under the 
blocks, and he will never remove them ; thus instead of 
traps, he will have most beautiful devices for giving more 
effectual aid and comfort to his enemies. Such persons, if 
they ever attempt to keep bees on my plans, should use only 
my smooth blocks, which will enable them to regulate the 
entrance to the hives, and which are exceedingly important 
in aiding the bees to defend themselves against moths- 
and robbers, and all other enemies which seek admission to 
their castle. 

23» 



270 EJ^EMIES OF BEES. 

Let me, however, strongly advise the incorrigibly careless, 
to have nothing to do with bees, either on nny plan of man- 
agement, or any other ; for they will find both time and 
money almost certainly thrown away ; unless their mishaps 
open their eyes to the secret of their failure in other things, 
as well as in bee-keeping. 

If 1 find that the worms, by any means, have got the up- 
per hand in one of my hives, I take out the combs, shake off 
the bees, destroy the worms, and restore the combs again to 
the bees : if there is reason to fear that they contain eggs 
and small worms, they may be smoked with sulphur, or 
soaked in water, before they are returned. Such operations, 
however, will very seldom be required. Shallow vessels 
containing sweetened water, placed on the hives after sun- 
set, will often entrap many of the moths. So fond are the 
moths of something sweet, that I have caught them sticking 
fast to pieces of moist sugar candy. Pans of milk have been 
recommended for entrapping the moth. If milk was as- 
cheap as water, it might be used for such a purpose. 

I cannot deny myself the pleasure of making an extract 
from an article* from the pen of that accomplished scholar, 
and well-known enthusiast in bee-culture, Henry K. Oliver, 
Esq. " We add a ^ew words respecting the enemies of 
bees. The mouse, the toad, the ant, the stouter spiders,, 
the wasp, the death-head moth, (Sphinx atropos,) and all the 
varieties of gallinaceous birds, have, each and all, " a sweet 
tooth," and like, very well, a dinner of raw bee. But the 
ravages of all these are but a baby bite to the destruction 
caused by the bee-molh, (Tinea mellonella.) These nimble- 
footed little mischievous vermin may be seen, on any eve- 
ning, from early May to October, fluttering about the apiary^ 
or running about the hives, at a speed to outstrip the swiftest 
♦Report on bees to the Essex County Agricultural Society, 1851, 



ENEMIES OF BEES, 271 

bee, and endeavoring to effect an entrance into the door way 
for it is within the hive that their instinct teaches thewi they 
must deposit their eggs. You can hardly find them by day^ 
for they are cunning and secrete themselves. ' They love 
darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil/ 
They are a paltry looking, insignificant little grey-haired 
pestilent race of wax-and-honey-eating and bee-destroying 
rascals, that have baffled all contrivances that ingenuity has 
devised to conquer or destroy them." 

" Your committee vv^ould be very glad indeed to be able to 
suggest any effectual means, by which to assist the honey- 
bee and its friends, against the inroads of this, its bitterest 
and most successful foe, whose desolating ravages are more 
lamented and more despondingly referred to, than those of 
any other enemy. Various contrivances have been an- 
nounced, but none have proved efficacious to any full extent, 
and we are compelled to say that there really is no security, 
except in a very full, healthy and vigorous stock of bees, 
and in a very close and well made hive, the door of which 
is of such dimensions of length and height, that the nightly 
guards can effectually protect it. Not too long a door, nor 
too high. If too long, the bees cannot easily guard it, and if 
too high, the moth will get in over the heads of the guards. 
If the guards catch one of them, her life is not worth insur- 
ing. But if the moths, in any numbers, effect a lodgment 
in the hive, then the hive is not worth insuring. They im- 
mediately commence laying their eggs, from which comes, 
in a few days, a brownish white caterpillar, which encloses 
itself, all but the head, in a silken cocoon. This^ head, cov- 
ered with an impenetratable coat of scaly mail, which bids 
defiance to the bees, is thrust forward, just outside of the 
silken enclosure, and the gluttonous pest eats all before it, 
wax, pollen, and exuviae, until ruin to the slock is inevitable. 



272 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

As says the Prophet Joel, speaking of the ravages of the 
locust, ' the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and 
behind them a desolate wilderness.' Look out, brethren 
bee lovers, and have your hives of the best unshaky, un- 
knotty stock, with close fitting joints, and well covered with 
three or four coats of paint. He who shall be successful 
in devising the means of ridding the bee world of this de- 
structive and mercilous pest, will richly deserve to be crowned 
' King Bee,' in perpetuity, to be entitled to a never-fading 
wreath of budding honey flowers, from sweetly breathing 
fields, all murmuring with bees, to be privileged to use, 
during his natural life, ' night tapers from their waxen 
thighs,' best wax candles, (two to the pound !) to have an 
annual offering from every bee-master, of ten pounds each, 
of very best virgin honey, and to a body guard, for protec- 
tion against all foes, of thrice ten thousand workers, all 
armed and equipped, as Nature's law directs. Who shall 
have these high honors.?" 

It might seem highly presumptuous for me, at this early date 
to lay claim to them, but I beg leave to enroll myself among 
the list of honorable candidates, and to cheerfully submit my 
pretensions to the suffrages of all intelligent bee-keepers. 

I have already spoken of the ravages of the mouse, and 
described the way in which my hives are guarded against its 
intrusion. That some kinds of birds are fond of bees, every 
Apiarian knows, to his cost ; still, I cannot advise that any 
should, on this account, be destroyed. It has been stated to 
me, by an intelligent observer, that the King-bird, which de- 
vours them by scores, confines himself always, in the seasons 
of drones, to those fat and lazy gentlemen of leisure. I fear 
however, that this, as the children say, " is too good news to 
be true," and that not only the industrious portion of the busy 
community fall a prey to his fatal snap, but that the luxuri- 



ENEMIES OF BEES. Zl6 

ous gourmand can distinguish perfectly well, between an 
empty bee in search of food, and one which is returning 
full laden lo its fragrant home, and whose honey-bag sweet- 
ens the delicious tit-bit, as the unfortunate owner, all ready 
sugared, glides daintily down his voracious maw ! Drones 
are not in the habit of visiting honey-producing trees when in 
blossom, and yet king-birds are often seen plying their vocation 
in such trees. Still, I have never yet been willing to destroy a 
bird, because of its fondness for bees ; and I advise all lovers 
of bees to have nothing to do with such a foolish practice. 

Unless we can check among our people, the stupid, as 
well as inhuman custom of destroying so wantonly, on any 
pretence, and often on none at all, the insectivorous birds, 
we shall soon, not only be deprived of their aerial melody, 
among the leafy branches, but shall lament over the ever 
increasing horde of ^destructive insects, which ravage our 
fields and desolate our orchards, and from whose successful 
inroads, nothing but the birds can ever protect us. Think of 
it, ye who can enjoy no music made by these winged choris- 
ters of the skies, except, that of their agonizing screams, as 
they fall before your well-aimed weapons, and flutter out 
their innocent lives before your heartless gaze ! Drive away 
as fast and as ftir as you please, from your cruel premises, all 
the little birds that you cannot destroy, and then find, if you 
can, those who will sympathize with you, when the caterpil- 
lars weave their destroying webs over your leafless trees, and 
insects of all kinds riot in glee, upon your blasted harvests ! 

It is to be hoped that such a healthy public opinion will 
soon prevail, that the man or boy who is armed with a gun 
to shoot the little birds, will be scouted from all humane and 
civilized society, and if caught about such contemptible busi- 
ness, will be too much ashamed even to look an honest man 
in the face. I shall close what I have to say about the birds. 



274 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

with the following beautiful translation of an old Greek poet's 
address to the swallow. 

" Attic maiden, honey fed, 

Chirping warbler, bear'st away 
Thou the busy buzzing bee, 

To thy callow brood a prey ? 
Warhler, thou a warbler seize ? 

Winged, one with lovely wings? 
Guest thyself, by Summer brought, 

Yellow guests whom Summer brings? 
Wilt not quickly let it drop? 

'T is not fair, indeed 'tis wrong, 
That the ceaseless warbler should 

Die by mouth of ceaseless song." 

Merivale's Translation. 

The toad is awell-known devourer of bees. Sitting before 
a hive, toward evening, he will seize many a late-returning 
bee ; but as he is also a diligent consumer of various insects 
injurious to the garden and nursery, he can plead equal 
immunity with the insectiverous birds. 

It may seem amazing that birds and toads are able to swal- 
low bees, without incurring the risk of death from their formid- 
able stings. They seldom, however, meddle with any except 
such as are returning fully laden with honey to their hives, 
or being away from home, are more indisposed to resent an 
injury. The bees are usually swallowed whole, and, as 
they are not crushed, do not instinctively thrust out their 
stings ; before they can recover from their surprise, they are 
safely entombed, and speedly perish from the want of air. In 
some cases, the bees taken from the crop of a king bird, have 
been known to recover when exposed to the sun, and to fly 
away apparently unharmed. 

My limits forbid me to speak at length of the other ene- 
mies of the honied race : nor is it necessary. If the Apiarian 
keeps his stocks strong, they will be their own best protectors, 
and if he does not, they would be of little value, even though 



ENEMIES OF BEES. 275 

they had no enemies, ever vigilant, to watch for their halting. 
As Nations, which are both rich and feeble, invite attack, as 
well as unfit themselves for vigorous resistance, just so a 
commonwealth of bees, unless amply guarded by thousands 
ready to die in its defence, is ever liable to fall a prey to some 
one of its many enemies, which are all agreed in this one 
opinion, at least, that stolen honey is much more sweet than 
the slower accumulations of patient industry. 

In the Chapters on Protection and Ventilation, I have 
spoken of the fatal effects of dysentery. This disease may 
be prevented by suitable precautions on the part of the bee- 
keeper. Let him be careful not to feed his bees, late in the 
season, on liquid honey, (see Chapter on Feeding,) and to 
keep them in dry and thoroughly protected hives. 

There is one disease, called by the Germans, " foul brood," 
of which I know nothing by my own observation, but which 
is, of all others, the most fatal in its effects. The brood ap- 
pear to die in the cells, after being sealed over by the bees, 
and the stench from their decaying bodies infects the hive, 
and paralyzes the bees. This disease is, in two instances, 
attributed by Dzierzon, to feeding bees on "American Hon- 
ey," or, as we call it, Southern Honey, which is brought 
from Cuba, and other West India Islands. That such honey 
is not ordinarily poisonous, is well known : probably that used 
by him, was taken from diseased colonies. It is well known 
that if any honey or combs are taken from a hive in which 
this pestilence is raging, it will most surely infect the colonies 
to which they may be given. No foreign honey ought there- 
fore to be extensively used, until its quality has been 
thoroughly tested. The extreme virulence of this disease 
may be inferred from the fact, that Dzierzon in one season, 
lost by it, between four and five hundred colonies ! 

There are two kinds of foul-brood, one of which the 



276 ENEMIES OF BEES. 

Germans call the dry^ and the other, the moist or f(Etid, 
The dry appears to be only partial in its effects, and not con- 
tagious; the brood simply dying and drying up in certain 
parts of the combs. The moist differs from the dry in this, 
that the brood dies and speedily rots and softens, diffusing a 
W noisome stench through the hive. 

Queen bees are not subject to the dysentery, nor will a 
queen taken from a colony infected with foul brood, communi- 
cate the disease to a healthy colony or an artificial swarm. 

"A hive which contained a colony suffering from foul brood, 
may retain the infectious matter for years, and communicate 
the disease, and a healthy colony placed on the spot where 
a diseased one stood, may catch the malady : yet it not un- 
frequently happens that in the midst of a diseased colony, 
a portion of the brood will be healthy and will mature 
without injury." 

In Spring or Summer, when the weather is fine and pas- 
turage abounds, the following cure for foul-brood is recom- 
mended by a German Apiarian ; " Drive out the bees into 
an old clean hive, and shut them up in a dark place without 
food for twenty-four hours ; prepare for them a clean hive 
properly fitted up with comb from healthy colonies, transfer 
the bees into it, and feed them with pure honey for two days, 
still keeping them confined. After this the hive may be 
placed on its old stand, and the bees permitted to fly." If 
any of my colonies were attacked by it, I should be tempted 
to burn up the bees, combs, honey and even frames, from 
every diseased hive ; and should then thoroughly scald and 
smoke with sulphur, all such hives, and replenish them with 
bees from a healthy stock. 

I have discovered that there is a peculiar kind of dysentery 
which does not affect all the bees of a colony, but confines 
its ravages to a few. In the early stages of this disease, 



LOSS OF THE <^UEEN, 27T 

tbose attacked are excessively irritable, and will attempt \o 
sting any person who approaches their hive. When dissected, 
their stomachs are found slightly discolored by the disease. 
In the latter stages of this complaint, they not only lose all 
their irascibility, but appear stupid, and may often be seen 
crawling on the ground, unable to fly. Their abdomens are 
now unnaturally swollen, and of a much lighter color thari 
usual, being filled with a yellow matter exceedingly offensive 
to the smell. I have not yet ascertained the cause of this 
disease. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

Loss of the Queen. 

That the queen of a hive is often lost, and that the ruin 
©f the whole colony soon follows, unless the loss is season- 
ably remedied, are facts which ought to be well known to 
every bee-keeper. 

The queen sometimes dies of old age or disease, and at a 
time when there are no worker-eggs, or larvee of a suitable 
age, to supply her loss. It is evident, however, that but a 
small portion of the queens which perish, are lost under such 
circumstances. Either the bees are aware of the approach- 
ing end of their aged mother, and take seasonable precau- 
tions to rear a successor ; or else she dies very suddenly, so 
as to leave behind her, brood of a proper age for supplying 
her loss. It is seldom that a queen in a hive strong in 
numbers and stores, dies at a period of the year when. 
there is no brood from which another can be reared, oc 
24 



278 LOSS OP THE QUEEN. 

when there are no drones to impregnate the one reared in 
her place. 

In speaking of the age of bees, it has already been stated 
that queens commonly die in their fourth year, while none 
of the workers live to be a year old. Not only is the queen 
much longer lived than the other bees, but she is possessed 
of much greater tenacity of life, so that when disease over- 
takes the colony, she is usually among the last to perish. 
By an admirable provision, her death ordinarily occurs under 
circumstances the most favoroble for her bereaved family. 
If it were otherwise, a much greater number of colonies 
would annually perish ; for as many superannuated queens 
die every year, some, or even most of them, might die at a 
season when their loss would necessarily involve the ruin of 
their whole colony. In non-swarming hives, I have found 
cells in which queens were reared, not to accompany a new 
swarm, but to supply the place of the old one which had 
died in the hive. There are a few well authenticated in- 
stances, in which a young queen has been matured before 
the death of the old one, but after she had become quite 
aged and infirm. Still, there are cases where old queens 
die, either so suddenly as to leave no young brood behind 
them, or at a season when there are no drones to impregnate 
the young queens. 

That queens occasionally live to such an age as to become 
incapable of laying worker eggs, is now a well established 
fact. The seminal reservoir sometimes becomes exhausted, 
before the queen dies of old age, and as it is never replen- 
ished, she can only lay unimpregnated eggs, or such as 
produce drones instead of workers. This is an additional 
confirmation of the theory first propounded by Dzierzon. I 
am indebted to Mr, Wagner for the following facts. " In 
the Bienenzeitung, for August, 1852, Count Stosch gives us 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 279 

the case of a colony examined by himself, with the aid of 
an experienced Apiarian, on the 14th of April, previous. 
The worker-brood was then found to be healthy. In May 
following, the bees worked industriously, and built new 
comb. Soon afterwards they ceased to build, and appeared 
dispirited ; and when, in the beginning of June, he examined 
the colony again, he found plenty of drone brood in worker 
cells ! The queen appeared weak and languid. He con- 
fined her in a queen cage, an^ left her in the hive. The 
bees clustered around the cage ; but next morning the queen 
was found to be dead. Here we seem to have the com- 
mencement, progress and termination of superannuation, all 
in the space of five or six weeks." 

In the Spring, as soon as the bees begin to fly, if their 
motions are carefully watched, the Apiarian may, even in 
the common hives, generally ascertain from their actions, 
whether they are in possession of a fertile queen. If they 
bring in water, and gather bee-bread with great eagerness, 
it follows, as a matter of course, that they have brood, and 
are anxious to obtain the means of its nourishment. If any 
hive does not industriously gather pollen, or accept the rye 
flour upon which the others are feasting, and if it refuses 
clean water put in empty comb, in or near the hive, then 
there is an almost absolute certainty, either that it has no 
queen, or that she is not fertile, or that the hive is seriously 
infested with worms, or on the very verge of starvation. 

An experienced eye will decide upon the queenlessness 
(to use the German term,) of a hive, from the restless ap- 
pearance of the bees. At this period of the year, when 
they first realize the magnitude of their loss, and before they 
have become in a manner either reconciled to it, or indiflfer- 
ent to their fate, they roam in an inquiring manner, in and 
out of the hive, and over its outside as well as inside, and 



280 LOSS OF THE QUEEl^r. 

plainly manifest that some great calamity has befallen them'. 
Often those that return from the fields, instead of entering 
the hive with that dispatchful haste so characteristic of a bee 
returning well stored to a prosperous home, linger about the 
entrance with an idle and very dissatisfied appearance, and 
the colony is restless, late in the day, and long after the 
other stocks are quiet. Their home, like that of the man 
who is cursed rather than blessed in his domestic relations, 
is a melancholy place : and they anly enter it with reluctant 
and slow-moving steps ! 

And here, if permitted to address a friendly w^ord of ad- 
vice to every married woman, I would say, " Do all that you 
can to make your husband's home a place of attraction. 
When absent from it, let his heart glow at the very thought 
of returning to its dear enjoyments ; and let his countenance 
involuntarily assume a more cheerful expression, and his 
joy-quickened steps proclaim, as he is approaching, that he 
feels in his " heart of hearts," that " there is no place like 
home." Let her whom he has chosen as a wife and com- 
panion, be the happy and honored Queen in his cheerful 
habitation : let her be the center and soul about which his 
best affections ever revolve. I know that there are brutes 
in the guise of men, upon whom all the winning attractions 
of a prudent, virtuous and loving wife, make little or no 
impression. Alas that it should be so J but who can tell, 
how many, even of the most hopeless cases, have been 
saved for two worlds, by a union with a virtuous woman, in 
whose " tongue was the law of kindness," and of whom 
it could be said, "the heart of her husband doth safely trust 
in her," for " she will do him good and not evil, all the days 
of her life." 

Said a man of large experience, " I scarcely know a wo- 
man who has an intemperate husband, who did not either 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 281 

marry a man whose habits were already bad, or drive her 
husband to evil courses, (often when such a calamitous 
result was the furthest possible from her thoughts or wishes,) 
by making him feel that he had no happy home." Think of 
it, ye who find that home is not full of dear delights, as well 
to yourselves, as to your affectionate husbands ! Try how 
much virtue there may be, in winning words and happy 
smiles, and the cheerful discharge of household duties, and 
prove the utmost possible efficacy of love and faith and 
prayer, before those words of fearful agony are extorted 
from your despairing lips, 

" Anywhere, anywhere 
Out of the world ;" 

when amid tears and sighs of inexpressible agony, you are 
crushed with the heart-breaking conviction, that you can 
have no home, until you have passed into that habitation 
not fashioned by human hands, or inhabited by human 
hearts ! 

Is there any husband v/ho can resist all the sweet attrac= 
tions of a lovely wife ? who does not set a priceless value 
upon the very gem of his life ? 

"If such there be, go mark him well ; 
High though his titles, proud his fame, 
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim, 
The wretch, concentered all in self, 
Living, shall forfeit fair renown, 
And doably dying, shall go down 
To the vile dust from whence he sprung 
Unwept, unhonored, and unsung." — Scott. 

When the bees commence their work in the Spring, they 
give, as previously stated, reliable evidence either that all is 
well, or that ruin lurks within. In the common hives, how- 
ever, it is not always easy to decide upon their real condi- 
tion. The queenless ones do not, in all cases, disclose their 
24* 



282 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

misfortune, any more than all unhappy husbands or wives 
see fit to proclaim the full extent of their domestic wretched- 
ness : there is a vast amount of seeming even in the little 
world of the bee-hive. One great advantage in my mode of 
construction is, that I am never obliged to leave anything to 
vague conjecture ; but I can, in a few moments, open the 
interior, and know precisely what is the real condition of 
the bees. 

On one occasion I found that a colony which had been 
queenless for a considerable lime, utterly refused to raise 
another, and even devoured all the eggs which were given 
to them for that purpose ! This colony was afterwards sup- 
plied with an unimpregnated queen, but they refused to ac- 
cept of her, and attempted at once to smother her to death. 
I then gave them a fertile queen, but she met with no better 
treatment. Facts of a similar kind have been noticed by 
other observers : thus it seems that bees may not only be- 
come reconciled, as it were, to living without a mother, but 
may pass into such an unnatural state as not only to decline 
providing themselves with another, but actually to refuse 
one by whose agency they might be rescued from impending 
ruin ! Before expressing loo much astonishment at such 
foolish conduct, let us seriously inquire if it has not often an 
exact parallel in our ob&linate rejection of the provisions 
which God has made in the Gospel for our moral and religious 
welfare. 

If a colony which refuses to rear another queen^ has ai 
range of comb given to il, containing maturing brood, these 
poor motherless innocents, as soon as they are able to work, 
perceive their loss, and will proceed at once, if they have 
the means, to supply it ! They have not yet grown so hard- 
ened by habit to unnatural and ruinous courses, as not to feel 
that something absolutely indispensable to their safety is 
wanting in their hive. 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 283 

A word to the young who may read this treatise. Al- 
though enjoined to " remember your Creator in the days of 
your youth," you are constantly tempted to neglect your 
religious duties, and to procrastinate their performance until 
some more " convenient season." Like the old bees in a hive 
without a queen, that seek only their present enjoyment, 
forgetful of the ruin which must surely overtake them, so 
you may find that when manhood and old age arrive, you 
will have even less disposition to serve God than you now 
have. The fetters which bind us to sinful habits, usually 
strengthen with years, while both the inclination and ability 
to break them continually decrease. 

In the Spring, as soon as the weather becomes pleasant 
enough for bees to fly, I carefully examine all hives which 
do not exhibit unmistakable evidence of health and vigor. 
If a queen is wanting, and the colony is small, I break il 
up, and add the bees to another stock. If however, the 
colony is very large, I prefer to unite with it a small stock 
which has a healthy queen. 

If the queenless stock were supplied, so early in the sea- 
son, with the means of raising another, there would be no 
drones to impregnate her, and the whole operation would 
prove a failure. It might be preserved until the season for 
drones approaches, and then have a queen given to it, but it 
would be in constant danger of being robbed or destroyed 
by the moih, while the bees, if added to another stock, can 
do far more service than if left to idleness in their old hive. 
It must be remembered that I am not like most bee keepers, 
on the old plan, extremely anxious to save every colony, 
however feeble : as I can, at the proper season, form as 
many as I want, and with far less trouble and expense than 
are required to make anything out of such discouraged stocks. 

If any of my colonies are feeble in the Spring, but yet m 



284 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

possession of a healthy queen, I give them combs containing 
maturing brood, in the mannner already described. In short, 
I ascertain, at the opening of the season, the exact condition 
of all my stocks, and apply the necessary remedies, giving to 
some, maturing brood, to others honey, and breaking up all 
whose condition demands it. If, however, the colonies were 
not multiplied too rapidly, and proper care was taken to 
winter none but strong stocks, they will need but little assis- 
tance in the Spring ; an^ nearly all will show indubitable 
signs of health and vigor. 

I strongly advise every one who uses my hives, to give 
them all a most thorough over-hauling and cleansing, as soon 
as the bees begin to work in the Spring. The bees of any 
stock may, with their combs, be transferred in a few minutes, 
to a clean hive ; and their own hives thoroughly cleansed, 
and given to another transferred stock ; in this way, with one 
spare hive, all may be lodged in habitations from which every 
speck of dirt has been removed. Hives thus treated, can by 
no possibility, harbor any of the eggs or larv^ of the moth, 
and may be made perfectly free from the least smell of must 
or mould, or anything offensive to the delicate senses of the 
bees. 

In making this thorough cleansing, the Apiarian will learn 
the exact condition of each stock, and know which have 
spare honey, and which require food : in short, which are in 
need of help in any respect, and which have the requisite 
strength to lend a helping hand to others. If any hive need 
repairs, it may be put in perfect order, before being used 
again. Hives thus managed, if the roofs and outside covers 
are occasionally re-painted, will last for generations, and will 
be found cheaper, in the long run, than any other kind. 

But I beg pardon, for making this suggestion, of the Genius of 
American cheapness, who so kindly presides over so many of 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 285 

our manufactures, and under whose shrewd tuition we are 
fast beginning to believe that cheapness in the first cost of an 
article, is the main point to which our attention should be 
directed ! 

It is unquestionably wise to save all that we can in the cost 
of construction, by the greatest economy in the use of ma- 
terials ; we should compel every minute to yield the greatest 
possible result, by the employment of the most skillful work- 
men and ingenious machinery ; but, in the name of common 
sense, do let us learn that slighting an article, so as to get 
up a mere sham, having all the appearance of reality, with 
none of its substance, is the shabbiest kind of pretended 
economy ; to say nothing of the tendency of such a penny- 
wise system, to encourage in all the pursuits of life, the 
narrow and selfish policy of doing nothing thoroughly, 
but everything with reference to mere outside show, or the 
urgent necessities of the present moment. 

We have yet to describe, under what circumstances, by 
far the larger portion of queenless hives meet with so great a 
calamity. After the first swarm has left with the old mother, 
both the parent stock and all subsequent swarms, will each 
have a young queen, which must always leave the hive, to 
be impregnated. It sometimes happens that the wings of 
the young female are, from her birth, so imperfect that she 
either refuses to sally out, or is unable to return to her hive, 
if she ventures abroad. In either case, the old stock, if left 
to its own resources, must perish. Queens, in their con- 
tests with each other, are sometimes so crippled as to unfit 
them for flight, while occasionally they are disabled by the 
rude treatment of the bees, who insist on driving them away 
from the royal cells. 

But the great majority of queens w^hich are lost, perish 
when they leave the hive in search of the drones. Their 



286 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

extra size and sloioer flight make them a most tempting 
prey to the birds, ever on the watch in the vicinity of the 
hives ; and many, in this way, perish. Others are destroyed 
by sudden gusls of wind, which dash them against some 
hard object, or blow them into the water ; for they are, by 
no means, exempt from the misfortunes common to the very 
humblest of their race. 

Queens not unfrequently, in spite of all their caution to 
notice the position and appearance of their habitation, make 
a fatal mistake on their return, and are imprisoned and de- 
stroyed as they attemp to enter the wrong hive. If suitable 
precautions to prevent such a calamity, are neglected, those 
who build their hives of uniform size and appearance, will 
lose many more queens than they would in the old-fashioned 
boxes, hardly any two of which looked just alike. 

J am confident that more queens are lost, by mistaking 
their hives, when they return from impregnation, than from 
any or all other causes ; and that the use of patent hives, 
has served, most widely, to increase the evil. Under the 
old system of management, the hives were usually of such a 
variety of shapes and sizes, that queens were materially 
assisted in reg-ainino; their own, even when the colonies stood 
very close together. For this reason, the most ignorant bee- 
keepers, persisting to use a miscellaneous assortment of 
forlorn and rickety hives, many of which are so rotten and 
shaky as with difficulty to hold together, are often far more 
successful than those whose hives are of the very best con- 
struction. The former class lose but few of their queens, 
while the latter class lose them in almost exact proportion to 
the taste and skill, which induced them to fashion all their 
hives alike, in size, shape and color. 

As I have now come to a point of the very greatest practi- 
cal importance, I solicit the most careful attention of all who 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 287 

wish, no matter what kind of hives they use, to attain the 
largest profits from their bees. 

In the summer of 1844, 1 first began to question the pro- 
priety of keeping colonies in hives placed very near to each 
other. For the purpose of giving my bees greater protection 
against extremes of heat and cold, I had recommended, in 
the first edition of this work, to set the hives over a trench, 
which I called a Protector, and very near to each other. In 
Summer, the bees were to receive from this trench, a cool 
air, through the ventilators ; and in Winter, they were to be 
confined to their hives, and yet to have a sufficient supply of 
air, only moderately cool, from the Protector. After the ex- 
perience of a severe winter, I found that I had been too hasty 
in supposing that I had given this plan a thorough trial, and 
that the Prelector must be abandoned, because it supplied the 
hives, in Winter, with a damp, cellar-like air. In consequence 
of keeping my bees in hives of uniform appearance, and plac- 
ed side by side on the Protector, 1 soon found that many young 
queens were lost, when seeking the males, and this led me to 
institute a careful course of observations, to ascertain under 
what circumstances, these young queens were ordinarily lost. 

A number of hives were devoted to this experiment, being 
first deprived of their fertile mothers, and in a few days, 
supplied with unimpregnated queens. These hives were uni- 
form in size, shape, and color, and were placed as near as 
possible to each other, at the same height from the ground, 
and all facing the same way. The ground before them, was 
free from trees and shrubs, so as to prevent, as far as possible, 
any hive having its location more easily remembered by a re- 
turningqueen, from its relative position to some external object. 

As fast as any colony succeeded in securing an impregnat- 
ed queen, she was taken from it, and an unfertile one put in 
her place, as soon as the the bees would receive her. On 



288 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

an average, only one queen in four was found to regain her 
own hive ! I do not remember that the queens of the two 
end colonies, which being the first and the last in the row, 
could easily be distinguished from the others, failed in a 
single instance to return in safety ! 

The young queens in sallying forth from their hives, 
would take the usual precautions to mark their precise lo- 
cality, but owing to the very great uniformity of the hives in 
size, shape, color, height, and position, it was next to im- 
possible for them to be certain of returning to their own. 
Many even of the workers, were constantly making the 
same mistake, and entering hives adjoining their own. 

If a traveler should be set down in a dark night, before a 
hotel in a strange city, and on rising, in the morning, should 
find the streets all filled with buildings precisely similar to his 
own, he would only be able, after an excursion abroad, to 
return to his proper place, | by previously ascertaining its 
number, or counting how many houses it was from the cor- 
ner ! Such a numbering faculty, however, has not been given 
to the queen bee, nor indeed, in a state of nature, would it 
ever be needed : for who ever saw, in a state of nature a 
dozen or more hollow trees, or other places frequented by 
bees, all standing close together, precisely alike in size, shape, 
and color, and with their entrances all facing the same way, 
and at exactly the same height from the ground ! 

On describing to a friend, these observations on the loss of 
queens, I was highly amused to find, that in his management 
of the domestic hen, he had fallen into a mistake similar 
to that made by so many Apiarians, with their bees. For 
economy of room, and greater convenience of access to his 
setting hens, he had partitioned a long box, into a dozen or 
more apartments, each containing one nest. The result of 
this orderly arrangement was very unfortunate. The hens, 



LOSS OP THE QUEEN. 289 

in returning to their nests, deceived by the exact similarity of 
the entrances, were continually making mistakes, so that 
often, one box would contain two or three very unamiable 
aspirants for the honors of maternity, while other boxes would 
be entirely forsaken. Many eggs were broken, more were 
addled, and scarcely enough chickens were hatched to estab- 
lish one mother as the happy mistress of a flourishing family. 
Had the hens been left to follow the natural bent of their own 
instincts, they would have scattered their nests over the 
premises, and gladdened the eye of their owner, with their 
numerous offspring. 

Through the length and breadth of our land, bee-keepers 
are constantly suffering heavy losses, from the close proximi- 
ty and similarity of their hives, while all unsuspicious of the 
true cause of their misfortunes, they impute them to the bee- 
moth, or some of the many enemies of their industrious 
favorites. As far as we know, the larva of the bee-moth 
is the only insect whose natural food is wax, and there is no 
reason to suppose that it will ever be exterminated. In a 
state of nature, a queenless colony, or a hive whose inhabi- 
tants have died, being of no further account. Providence 
will continue the existence of some insect to " gather up 
the fragments, so that nothing may be lost." 

A word, in this connection, to those timid bee-keepers who 
imagine that a colony of bees is seriously injured if not ruin<= 
ed, when they perceive the presence of a few worms 
or moths. Remember that nearly every old stock, however 
strong or healthy, has a few, at least, of these enemies lurking 
about its premises, but that all is safe, so long as the bees are 
numerous and have a healthy queen. Knowing this, I have 
for some years ceased to fear the assaults of the bee-moth, 
and if it were not for the precautions I am obliged to use, to 
preserve from its ravages my empty comb, when removed 
25 



290 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

from the bees, I should feel quite disposed to laugh it to 
scorn. 

In the chapter on the bee-moth, I omitted to notice the 
fact, that a colony suffering for the want of food, becomes 
too weak and dispirited, to make any effectual opposition 
to the entrance of the moth, even although the stock may be 
strong in numbers and in possession of a fertile queen. Fewer 
battles, I imagine, would be fought, if the doughty combatants 
were always compelled to fight upon empty stomachs ! and 
bees when reduced to the verge 'of starvation, become re- 
luctant converts to non-resistant doctrines. 

Since ascertaining the cause why so many queens are lost, 
I have visited the large Apiary of Judge Fishback of Batavia, 
Ohio, where I found that being compelled to set his colonies 
near together, he had, for years, been aware of the precau- 
tions necessary to prevent the loss of his young queens. 
The fronts of his hives were painted of diffierent colors, and 
the entrances made to face in various ways, to assist the bees. 

If possible, the hives should not stand very close together, 
but be scattered about over the owner's premises, so as to be, 
at least, ten or fifteen feet apart. If this is done, we shall 
soon cease to have so many complaints of the bee-moth. No 
bee-keeper who has his hives so arranged, that the queens 
are liable to make mistakes, need ever expect to escape 
from heavy losses. Let him put a number of swarming 
stocks, managed in the ordinary way, on a bench in an 
Apiary, under circumstances similar to those described, and 
he will never be able, without constant renewal, to keep 
their number good. The hives which do not swarm, will do 
well enough, retaining their fertile queen, wdio is in no dan- 
ger of being lost : but many of those which swarm, will be 
robbed by other bees, or fall a prey to the bee-moth, or if 
they escape these calamities, will dwindle in numbers until 
all the occupants have perished. 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 291 

As I am aware that it is highly desirable in many cases 
where space is limited, and in all cases where protection is 
lo be given, at the least expense, against the high winds and 
cold of Winter, to keep colonies very close together, I shall 
now describe a plan which I have devised for doing this, 
without any risk of losing the young queens. 

If the Apiarian resorts to artificial swarming, as he will 
move the old stock, which is to raise a young queen, to a 
new place, he may keep his colonies quite close together, 
without risking the loss of his queens. He must put, how- 
ever, the old stocks when removed from the parent stand, 
in the most favorable situation, to ensure the safe return of 
iheir queen ; and when Winter sets in, he may again place 
them as close together as he chooses. 

If he relies upon natural swarming, he must proceed as 
follows : After hiving a new swarm, and before all the bees 
have passed from the sheet into the hive, remove the parent 
stock to a new place, where its young queen, when hatched, 
will make no mistake, and set the newly hived swarm on 
the old stand. 

Before removing the newly hived swarm, fold the sheet 
over the bees which were not permitted to enter, say, two or 
three quarts, or about one quarter of the new swarm ; care- 
fully carry it to the front of the old stock from which they 
issued, now removed to a new stand, and fasten it, so that they 
may crawl into their old home. These bees, having the swarm- 
ing propensity, will all adhere to the new location, and 
supply the place of those who will leave it, to return to the 
swarm, placed on the old stand ! 

If the old hive is moved without proper precautions being 
taken, to retain a sufficient number of laborers, it will suffer 
too severely in the loss of bees. The bee-keeper must be 
careful not to leave the queen upon the sheet with the bees 



2'92 LOSS or the queen. 

which he returns to the parent stock. Of this, however, 
there is little danger, if, in hiving the swarni, the bees were 
shaken off in front of the hive, as the queen, under such 
circumstances, seldom fails to make, at once, for the hive, 
and to enter as speedily as possible. 

It is interesting to see how rapidly a queen passes into the 
hive, as soon as she recognizes the joyful note announcing 
that the bees have found a home. She quickly follows in 
the direction of the moving mass, and her long legs enable 
her to outstrip, in the race for possession, all who attempt to 
follow her. Other bees linger around the entrance, or fly 
into the air, or collect in listless knots on the sheet ; but a 
fertile mother, marches straight forward, with an air of con- 
scious importance, and looking neither to the right hand nor 
the left, glides into the hive, with the same dispatchful haste, 
that characterizes a bee, returning fully laden from the nectar- 
bearing fields ! 

In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I omitted to men- 
tion one method of forming such swarms, which may be 
successfully practiced. It can only be used, however, where 
the colonies stand at some distance from each other, and the 
parent hive, and that which is intended for the forced swarm, 
closely resemble each other, in shape, size and color. After 
the artificial colony is formed, both the new and old one should 
be set, one a little to the right, and the other to the left, of the 
old stand, so that the former entrance shall come between 
them. This will ordinarily secure a proper division of the 
bees, and if it does not, the one deficient in numbers, may be 
moved a little nearer to the old entrance. Where the colo- 
nies are so arranged as to permit of this method, it will be 
found very effectual ; the only objection to it, being the fact^ 
that it often requires considerable time and judgment, to ap- 
portion the right number of bees to each colony. 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 29S 

The bees appear to me, to have, as it were, an instinctive 
perception of the dangers which await their queen, when she 
makes her excursion in search of the drones, and often 
' gather around her, and confine her, as though they could 
not bear to have her leave ! I have repeatedly noticed 
this, although I cannot affirm with positive certainty, that the 
fear of losing her, is the cause of such conduct. They are 
usually excessively agitated when the queen leaves, and 
often exhibit all the appearance of swarming. If the queen 
of an old stock is lost in this way, her colony will gradually 
dwindle away. If that of an after-swarm fails to return, 
the bees speedily dwindle away, if they remain in the hive 5 
as a general rule, however, they soon leave, and attempt tO' 
add themselves to other colonies. 

It would be highly interesting to ascertain how bees be-- 
come informed of the loss of their queen. When she is- 
taken from them, under such circumstances as to excite the 
whole colony, we can easily see how they find out that she 
is gone ; for when greatly excited, they always seek first to 
assure themselves of her safety ; just as a tender mother, in 
time of danger, forgets herself in her anxiety for her help- 
less children ! If, however, the queen is carefully removedy 
so that the colony is not disturbed, a day, or even more, may 
sometimes elapse, before they realize their loss. How do' 
they first become aware of it ? Perhaps some dutiful bee,, 
feeling that it is a long time since it has seen its mother, and 
anxious to embrace her, makes diligent search for her 
through the hive ! The intelligence that she cannot any- 
where be found, is soon noised abroad, and the whole com- 
munity are at once alarmed. At such times, instead of 
calmly conversing, by merely touching each other's antennsBy 
they may be seen violently striking, as it were, their antennae 
together, and by the most impassioned demonstrations mani- 
25* 



294 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

festing their agony and despair. I once removed the queen, 
of a small colony, so as to cause the bees to take wing and 
nil the air, in search of her. She was returned in a few- 
minutes, and yet, on examining the colony, two days after, i 
found that they had begun to build royal cells, in order to 
raise another ! The queen was unhurt, and the cells were 
not tenanted. Was this work begun by some that refused 
for a long time to believe the others, when told that she was 
safe ? Or was it begun from the apprehension that she 
might again be removed ? 

Every colony which has a new queen, should be watched^ 
in order that the Apiarian may be seasonably apprised of 
her loss. The restless conduct of the bees, on the evening 
of ihe day that she fails to return, will inform the experi- 
enced bee-master of the accident which has befallen his hive.. 
An old stock which cannot be supplied with another queen, 
or with the means of raising one, must be broken up, and 
the bees added to another colony : a new swarm must al- 
ways be broken up, unless it can be supplied with a queen 
nearly mature, or else they will build combs unfit for the 
rearing of workers. If ihe nev/ colony is large, it will be 
better, instead of breaking it up, to give it a queen from 
some old stock which can easily raise another. By the use 
of movable-comb hives, all these operations may be easily 
performed. If any hive has lost its young queen, it can be 
supplied, either with the means of raising another, or with a 
sealed or mature queen from other hives. 

J^t is a very singular fact, that while a swarm which has 
no mature queen, builds only drone comb, a swarm possess- 
ing a young queen which has not yet become impregnated, 
will still, for some time continue to build worker cells. Often 
after the hiving of an after-swarm, the weather for some 
days, proves unpropitious for the flight of the drones, and in 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 295 

many instances I have known more than a week to elapse, 
before the young queen commenced laying. In the mean time, 
much comb is often constructed, and if this were of unsuit- 
able size, it would seriously interfere with the prosperity of 
the new colony. Who can fail to notice the admirable 
adaptation of all the facts yet discovered in the economy of 
the bee-hive, to develop to the utmost the productive power 
of this truly wonderful insect ! 

The only two facts of any importance which appear to a 
close observer to be inconsistent with the idea of such wise 
adaptation, is the fact that bees build drone 'comb only when 
not in possession of a mature queen, and that in the press of 
honey-gathering, other colonies often build, for convenience 
of storing, an excess of such combs, from which thousands 
of useless consumers are produced, to devour the fruits of 
their indefatigable industry. In a state of nature, however^ 
and in the tropical climates of which the honey-bee is a na- 
tive, no injury is experienced from these causes. The 
larger part of such comb will, year after year, continue to be 
used for storing up honey, while the bees, having ample 
room in their natural habitations, will in due season, build all 
the worker comb that the wants of the most productive 
queen may require. It is only in our climate of short Sum- 
mers, and in our hives of such limited dimensions, that the 
instinct impelling the bees to build drone comb for store 
honey, is found at all injurious to their lasting prosperity. 

As a matter of precaution, stocks that are raising 
young queens, or which have unimpregnaled ones, may 
have given to them a range of comb containing brood and 
eggs, so that they may, in case of any accident to their 
queen, proceed at once, to supply their loss. This will pre- 
vent them from being so dissatisfied as to forsake the hive. 

Among the signs of queenlessness, is one which has not 



296 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

yet been specified. If a colony does not destroy its drones 
at the time when they are killed in other hives, it is a sus- 
picious indication which demands immediate investigation. 
If it retains them late in the season, it is almost certain that 
it is not in possession of a fertile queen, although I have 
occasionally known a good stock to retain its drones until 
early in September. 

The great importance of getting rid of the excess of 
drones has several times been referred to ; I am indebted to 
Mr. P. J. Mahan, of Philadelphia, a most fearless and suc- 
cessful operator with bees, for the highly important discovery 
(pp. 202-3) showing the very large consumption of honey 
by the drones. 

It is interesting to witness the deportment of the drone&j 
when they find themselves excluded from the hive. For a 
while, they persist in searching for some wider opening, and 
vigorously strive to squeeze their bulky bodies into a smaller 
compass ; finding this to be in vain, they stop the loaded work- 
ers on their passage to the entrance, and solicit fronn them the 
contents of their honey bags. After receiving a supply, they 
resume their efforts to force an entrance into the hive, until 
finding this impossible, they resign themselves to their hard 
fate, uttering, all the while, a plaintive note expressive of 
their anguish at such cruel treatment. Listening to their 
wailings, one may sometimes feel tempted to relent, and 
give them admission to the hive ; still it is a satisfaction to 
reflect, that not only much honey is saved by their prema- 
ture death, but that their sufferings are much less than when 
they are butchered by the workers. Those who use the 
movable-comb hive, however, will find it much more profit- 
able, as well as merciful, to prevent them from being born, 
by removing drone comb from the breeding apartments. 

About a week after the young queens have hatched, I ex- 



LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 297 

amine all their hives, lifting out first, some of the central 
combs, which usually contain brood. If I find a comb 
which has eggs or larvae, I am satisfied that they have a fer- 
tile queen, and shut up the hive ; unless I v\^ish to find her, 
in order to deprive her of her wings, (see p. 200.) Often I 
can ascertain their condition in two or three minutes. If no 
brood is found, I suspect that the queen has been lost, or 
that she has some defect which has prevented her from 
leaving the hive. If the brood-comb which I put into the 
hive, contains any newly-formed royal cells, or if the bees 
are building drone-comb, I knoio^ without any further exami- 
nation, that the queen has been lost. If the weather has 
been unfavorable, or the colony is quite w^eak, the young 
queen is sometimes not impregnated as early as usual, and 
an allowance of a few days must be made on this account. 
If the weather is favorable, and the colony a good one, the 
queen usually leaves, a day or two after she finds herself 
mistress of a family. In about tv^o days more, she begins 
to lay her eggs. By waiting about a week before making 
the examination, ample allowance, in most cases, is made. 

Early in October, I examine carefully all my hives, to see 
that they are in suitable condition for wintering. If any 
need feeding, (See Chapter on Feeding,) they are fed at this 
time. If any have too much vacant room, I partition off 
that part of the hive which they do not need. I always ex- 
pect to find some brood in every healthy hive at this time, 
and if in any, I find none, and ascertain that it is queenless, 
I either at once break it up, or if it is strong in numbers, 
supply it with a queen, by adding to it some feebler stock. 
If bees, however, are properly attended to, at the season 
when their young queens are impregnated, a queenless 
colony will seldom be found in the Fall. 

The practical bee-keeper, without further directions, will 



298 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 

readily perceive how any operation, which in the common 
hives, is performed with difficulty, if at all, is reduced to 
simplicity and certainty, by the control of the combs. If 
however, bee-keepers will be negligent and ignorant, no hive 
can possibly make them very successful. If they belong to 
the fraternity of " no eyes," who have kept bees all their 
lives, and do not know that there is a queen, they will pro- 
bably derive no special pleasure from being compelled to 
believe what they have always derided as humbug or book- 
knowledge ; although I have seen some bee-keepers, very 
intelligent in most matters, who have never learned the first 
rudiments in the natural history of the bee. Those who 
cannot, or will not learn for themselves, or have not leisure 
or disposition to manage their own bees, may yet, with my 
hives, entrust their care to suitable persons, who may, at 
the proper time, attend to all their wants. 

Practical gardeners may find the management of bees, for 
their employers, to be quite a lucrative part of their profes- 
sion. Wiih but little extra labor and with great certainty, 
they may, from time to time, do all that the prosperity of 
the bees requires ; carefully over-hauling them in the Spring, 
making new colonies, at the suitable period, if any are 
wanted, giving them their surplus honey receptacles, and 
removing them when full; and on the approach of Winter, 
putting all the colonies into proper condition, to resist its 
rigors. The business of the practical Apiarian, and that of 
the Gardener, seem very naturally to go together, and one 
great advantage of my hive, and mode of management, is 
ihe ease with which they may be successfully united. 

Some Apiarians, after all that has been said, may still have 
doubts whether the young queens leave the hive for impreg- 
nation ; or may think that the old ones occasionally leave, 
even when they do not go out to lead a swarm. Such per- 



THE APIARY. 299 

sons may easily convince themselves of the accuracy of my 
statements, by the following experiments : About a week 
after hiving a second swarm, or after the birth of a young 
queen in a hive, and after she has begun to lay eggs, open 
the hive and remove her: carry her a few rods in front of 
the Apiary, and* let her fly ; she will at once enter her own 
hive, and thus show that she has previously left it. If, how- 
ever, an old queen is removed at any time after hiving the 
swarm, she will not be able to distinguish her own hive from 
any other, and will thus show that she has not left it, since 
the swarm was hived. If this experiment is performed upon 
a queen, impregnated the previous year, the same result v/ill 
follow ; for as she never left it after that event, she will have 
lost all recollection of its relative position in the Apiary. 
The first of these experiments, has been suggested by 
Dzierzon. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Apiary — Procuring Bees to start it — Transferring Bees from the 
Common Hive. 

The proper location of an Apiary, especially to one pro- 
posing to enter largely into the cultivation of bees, is a point 
of very great importance. If the bee-keeper is at liberty to 
choose his situation, his first solicitude should be, to select a 
region where the best pasturage for bees can be found. In 
some favored places, bees will accumulate large stores, 
while in others, perhaps only a few miles distant,* they may 

* '' "While Huber resided at Cour, and afterwards at Vivai, his bees 
suffered so much from scanty pasturage, that he could only preserve 



300 THE APIARY. 

yield but small profits. After the best honey-yielding dis- 
trict is selected, his next inquiry will be, as to the particular 
spot on his own premises, best adapted for the purposes of 
an Apiary. And here there will be a wide field for the 
exercise of good judgment. 

In all situations, protection against high winds, will con- 
tribute greatly lo the prosperity of the bees, and if this can- 
not be given in any other way, a high board fence will pay 
a generous interest on its cost. The colonies ought always 
to be put where they will not be annoyed by foot passengers, 
or cattle, and should never be very near where sweaty 
horses will stand or pass. At the same time, if managed on 
ihe ordinary swarming plan, they should, for obvious reasons, 
be in full sight and sound of the rooms most occupied by 
the family of their owner. In regions where the Winter is 
severe, if the bees are to be exposed to its rigors, protection 
against cold must be specially regarded, in the selection of 
a site. (See remarks on wintering bees.) 

In the Northern and Middle States, the hives, if possible, 
should have a southern exposure. I prefer that they should 
fiice about due south-east, as this will give the bees the ben- 
efit of the sun, during that part of the day when it will be 
most conducive to their welfare. The ground in front of 
the hives should be in grass, and ought to be mowed fre- 
quently, and kept free from weeds. The slovenly manage- 
ment of many bee-keepers, is not only ofl^ensive to the eye, 
but very injurious to their bees. In many cases, the hives 
are placed where many bees perish by falling into the dust 
and dirt, while in others they are surrounded by tall weeds 
and grass, in which spiders and toads find the choicest lurk- 
ing places. I have seen hives placed on the ground, and so 

them by feeding, although those that were located only two miles from 
him, were in each case storing their hives abundantly." — Bevan. 



THE APIARY. 301 

overrun with grass, that the bees were compelled to l^rawl 
through a tangled mat to enter their homes ! 

If the alighting boards are properly constructed, it will be 
best to set the hives about two feet from the ground ; as this 
will m.ake them most convenient for all purposes of super^ 
intendence by their owner. If the entrances and alighting 
boards are, however, so arranged that the bees in windy 
days, are liable to be blown down upon the ground, then the 
lower the hives stand, the better. 

The cheapest, and probably the best stand for hives, is 
made, by driving four stakes or posts into the ground, and 
nailing to them two narrow strips of wood ; the back parts 
should be at least three inches higher than the front ones, to 
give the proper slant to the roof to carry off rain, and to the 
bottom board for the purposes mentioned on page 102. 
Such stands may be made to accommodate a number of 
hives, although, unless room is very scarce, no more than 
two should be put upon them, and these should have an in« 
terval between them, of at least a foot. These stands, if 
designed for the movable-comb hive, must not slant from 
right to left, or the frames would be thrown out of level, so 
as to incline to each other, and this would interfere with the 
regular building of the combs. 

I am entirely opposed, for reasons previously assigned, to 
the building of covered Apiaries. If the hives are properly 
constructed, and thoroughly painted, they may stand vv^ithout 
any protection ; and if they are not, then a simple roof of 
boards, which will turn the rain, and shelter them from the 
sun, will be all sufficient. 

T prefer in the management of my own Apiary, to keep 

my colonies under the shade of trees, lo the early part of 

the season, when the sun is grateful to them, it shines upop. 

them with full power, and as soon as it becomes hot enoug^t 

26 



302 STARTING AN APIARY. 

to annoy them, the leafy branches furnish a shelter from its 
ardent rays, and diffuse around a grateful coolness. The 
shade, however, ought not to be too dense, nor the branches 
so low as to interfere with the flight of the bees ; and if 
they are kept in the open air, during the Winter, it will 
often be necessary, when the cold weather sets in, to remove 
them from under the trees, to a more sheltered place. Those 
who follow the common swarming plan, will have to 
make all other things bend to the necessity of putting 
their colonies where the new swarms may always be seen or 
heard. 

Procuring Bees to start an Apiary. 

A person ignorant of bees, must rely chiefly on the hon- 
esty of those from whom he purchases. Many stocks are 
not worth accepting as a gift, but like a horse or cow, in- 
curably diseased, will only prove a vexatious bill of expense. 
If an inexperienced person wishes to commence bee-keeping, 
I advise him to purchase a new swarm of bees. It ought to 
be large and early. Second swarms, and all late and small 
first swarms, should never be purchased by beginners. 
They are very apt, in such hands, to prove worthless. It 
would be safe to order a swarm of any bee-keeper, if all 
were of that exemplary class of whom an English Country 
Curate says, " In all my experience, I never yet met with a 
keeper of bees, who was not a respectable, well conducted 
member of society, and a moral, if not a religious man." 
This, however, is so far from being true, that some offer for 
sale, stocks which are worthless, or impose on the ignorant, 
small first swarms, and second, and even third swarms, as 
prime ones worth the highest market price. If the novice 
purchases an old stock, he may have the perplexities of 



STARTING AN APIARY. 303 

swarming, before he has obtained sufficient experience. As 
it may, however, be sometimes advisable that this should be 
done, he should, unless he makes his purchase of a man ¥nowa 
to be honest, select his stock himself, at an hour when the 
bees, in early Spring, are busily engaged in plying their 
labors. He should choose a colony which is actively en- 
gaged in carrying in bee-bread, and which, from the large 
number going in and out, undoubtedly contains a vigorous 
population. 

The hive should be removed to his own premises, at an 
hour when the bees are all at home ; but as this may often be 
inconvenient, I will furnish a new, and valuable method, for 
removing bees at any hour of the day, without incurring a 
severe loss of workers : Blow into the entrance of the hive 
sufficient smoke to alarm the workers, and cause them to fiii 
themselves with honey ; considerable time will now elapse, 
before any of them will be ready for sallying out to the 
fields, during which, large numbers will return to the hive. 
If many still continue to return, and those at home begin to 
recover from their fright, and leave the hive for work, use 
more smoke, at intervals, for about half an hour, by which 
time nearly all will have returned to the hive. If any bees 
are clustered on the outside, they may all be driven in with 
smoke. 

As soon as the bees are all in the hive, it should be gently 
inverted, and a coarse towel placed over it, and tacked fast. 
If thin strips of wood are laid over the cloth, and the nails 
driven through them, into the edges of the hive, the bees 
will be more easily fastened in. Set the hive on some 
straw, in a wagon having easy springs, and fasten it so that it 
will not be jolted about ; and be sure, before starting, that 
it is impossible for a bee to get out. They will now have 
plenty of air, and the combs, from the inverted position of 



3^4 STARTING AN APIARY. 

?lhe hive, will not be so liable to be jarred loose. Never 
purchase a hive which contains much new comb ; for it will 
■be next to impossible to move it, in warm weather, without 
jposening the combs. 

If a new swarm is purchased, it may be brought home as 
follows. Furnish the person on whose premises it is to be 
hived, with a box holding at the very least, a cubic foot of 
clear contents. Let the bottom-board of this temporary hive 
be clamped on both ends, the clamps being about two inches 
wider than the thickness of the board, so that when the hive 
is set on the bottom-board, it will slip in between the upper 
projections of the clamps, and be kept an inch from the 
ground, by the lower ones, to allow air to pass under it. 
There should be a hole in the bottom-board, about four inches 
m diameter, and two of the same size, in the opposite sides 
of the box, covered with wire gauze, to give the bees 
^n abundance of air. Three parallel strips, an inch and a 
half wide, may be nailed, about one-third of the way from 
the top of the temporary hive, at equal distances apart, so 
that the bees can have every opportunity to cluster; a few 
pieces of old comb, fastened strongly with melted rosin, will 
make it more acceptable to the bees. A handle made of a 
strip of leather, should be nailed on the top. Let the bees 
be hived in this box, and kept well shaded ; at evening, or 
very early next morning, this temporary hive, which was 
propped up, when the bees were put into it, may be shut 
close to its bottom-board, and a few screws put into the 
ypper projection of the clamps, so as to run through into the 
ends of the box. In such a box, bees may be safely trans- 
ported, almost any reasonable distance : care being taken 
not to handle them roughly, and never to keep them in the 
sun, or in any place where they have not sufficient air. If 
4he .box is too small^ or sufficient ventilators are not put in, ox 



STARTING AN APIARY. 805 

if the bees are exposed to too much heat, they will be sure 
to suffocate. If the swarm is unusually large, and the 
weather excessively warm, they ought to be removed at 
night. Unless great care is taken in moving bees, in very 
hot weather, they will be almost sure to perish : therefore 
always be certain that they have an abundance of air. A 
good box for transporting new swarms, may be made out of 
an old tea-chest. 

When a new swarm is brought, in this way, to its intended 
home, the bottom-board may be unscrewed, and the bees 
transferred at once, to the new hive ; (See p. 161-2.) I 
very much prefer sending a box for the bees : one person 
can easily carry tv/o such boxes, each with a swarm of bees ; 
and if he chooses to fasten them to two poles, or to a very 
large hoop, he may carry four, or even more. 

The following directions are given, in case the movable- 
comb hive is sent away to receive a swarm of bees, and 
should be carefully followed, whenever hives of this kind 
are to be transported to a distance : With small nails fasten 
the frames, at proper distances apart, to the rabbets on which 
they rest, leaving the nails to project, so that they may 
readily be drawn out agam. Secure the surplus honey-board 
with nails or screws, removing the tins, and putting wire 
cloth over the holes. Take away the entrance blocks, and 
shut up the portico, by tacking in front of it, a towel, or cloth. 
Bees thus secured, will bear confinement for many hours, 
and will travel over rough roads, Vvith perfect safety. If, 
however, they are to be shut up a day or more, it will be 
best to fasten wire cloth before the entrance, after the blocks 
are removed, and to leave off the surplus honey-board, after 
very firmly securing the top-cover. If confined too long, 
they will gnaw holes through a towel, or cloth. When an 
old colony is to be transported, the bees must be subdued 
26* 



.306 STARTING AN APIARY. 

with smoke or sugar-water, before the nails can be driven to 
fasten the frames, and the same will be necessary, when 
ihey are to be drawn out. It would be unnecessary to in- 
vert my hives, even if it could easily be done, as the combs 
are so securely attached to the frames, and such a free admis- 
sion of air can be given, that they bear transportation 
with perfect safety. 

If the Apiarian wishes, the first season, to be sure, of 
getting some honey from his bees, he will do well to procure 
two good swarms, and put them both into one hive. (See 
p. 212.) To those who do not object to the extra expense, 
I strongly recommend this course. Not unfrequently, in a 
good season, they v/ill obtain in spare honey from their 
doubled swarm, an ample equivalent for its increased cost : 
at all events, such a powerful swarm lays the foundation of 
a flourishing stock, which seldom fails to answer all the 
reasonable expectations of its owner. If the Apiary is 
commenced with swarms of the current season, and they 
have an abundance of spare room in the upper boxes, there 
will be no swarming, that season, and the beginner will have 
time to make himself familiar with his bees, before being 
called to hive new swarms, or multiply colonies by artificial 
means 

Let no inexperienced person commence bee-keeping on a 
large scale ; ver}^ few who do so, find it to their advantage,, 
while most not only meet with heavy losses, but abandon 
the pursuit in disgust. By the use of my hives, the bee- 
keeper can easily and rapidly multiply the number of his 
colonies, as soon as he finds, not merely that money can be 
made by keeping bees, but that he can make it. While 1 be- 
lieve that more profit can be realized by a careful and expe- 
rienced bee-keeper, in a good situation, from a given sum 
invested in an Apiary, than from the same money invested 



TRANSFERRING BEES. 307 

ill any other branch of rural economy, I ann confident, that 
there is none in which a careless, or inexperienced person, 
will be more sure to find his outlay result in an almost entire 
loss. An Apiary neglected or mismanaged, is far worse 
than a farm overgrown with weeds, or exhausted by ignorant 
tillage : for the land is still there, and may again, by prudent 
management, be made to blossom like the rose ; but the 
bees, when once destroyed, can never be brought back to 
life, unless the poetic fables of the Mantuan Bard, can be 
accepted as the legitimate results of actual experience, and 
swarms of bees, instead of clouds of filthy flies, can be ob- 
tained from the carcass of a decaying animal ! I have seen 
an old medical work in which VirgiPs method of obtaining 
colonies of bees from the putrid body of a cow slain for 
this special purpose, is not only credited, but minutely 
described ! 

Transferring Bees from the Common to the Movable- 
Comb Hive. 

The construction of my hive is such, as to permit bees to 
be transferred to it, from the common hives, whenever the 
weather is warm enough to allow them to fly. 

On the 10th of November, 1852, in Northern Massachu- 
setts, I transferred a colony which wintered in good health, 
and made an excellent stock. 

The transfer may be made of any healthy colony, with 
tolerably regular comb, and if -they are strong in numbers, 
the hive w^ell provisioned, and the weather not too cool, they 
will scarcely feel the change. Should the weather be too 
cold, it will be found almost impossible to make a colony 
leave its old hive, and if the combs are cut out, and the bees 
removed upon them, many will take wing, and becoming 



308 TRANSFERRING BEES. 

chilled, and unable to join their companions, will miserably 
perish. 

The process of transferring bees to my hives, is performed 
as follows. Let the old hive be well drummed,* and the 
bees driven into an upper box. Set this box on the stand 
previously occupied by the bees; then carry the drummed 
hive to some convenient place, where you will be least liable 
to annoyance from other bees. Have here all the various 
implements M^hich you will need for removing and trans- 
ferring the combs : hatchet, or hammer and chisel, for 
prying off a side of the old box parallel, if possible, with 
the combs : a case knife for cutting out the combs : vessels 
for receiving the honey : a table or board on which to lay 
the brood combs : cotton twine for fastening them into the 
frames : and water to wash off, from time to time, the 
honey which will slick to your hands. 

In cutting out the combs, endeavor, as far as possible, to 
remove them so that they may fit the frames, taking care, 
if the transfer is made after honey-gathering is over, to 
give the bees a generous allowance of honey, v/ith all the 
combs containing brood, and such empty ones as are suitable 
for rearing workers. All combs, with large cells, except 
such as contain the honey which they need, should be 
rejected. 

Having thus selected the combs to be transferred to the 
new hive, lay a frame upon a piece of comb, which cut a 
trifle large, so that it will just crotud into the frame, and 
remain in ils place until the bees have lime to atiach it. If 
the size of the combs is such, that some of ihem cannot be 

* Mr. Wagner queries whether the art of drumming out bees, was 
not known in the time of Chaucer, who says, 

•'' Out of the hives came swarms of bees, 
So hideous was the noise." 



TRANSFERRING BEES. 309 

cut so as lo fit, then cut them to the best advantage, and 
after putting them into the frames, wind some cotton twine 
around the upper and lower slats of the frame, so as to hold 
the combs in their place, until the bees can fasten them. If, 
however, any of the combs which do not fit, have no honey 
in them, they may be fastened, by dipping their upper 
edges into melted wax and rosin. When the combs are thus 
disposed of, the frames should be firmly tacked to the rab- 
bets of the new hive ; this will be more necessary, if the 
transfer is made so late in the season that the bees cannot 
obtain the propolis necessary to fasten them. 

As soon as the new hive is thus prepared, shake out the 
bees from the box, upon a sheet in front of it, and when 
they have entered, set it upon the old stand. The work is 
now done ; bees, brood, honey, bee-bread, empty combs^ 
and all, have been nicely moved, and without more serious 
loss than is often incurred by a moving family, which has to 
mourn over some broken crockery, or other damage done in 
the necessary work of establishing themselves in their new 
home ! If this operation is performed at a season of the 
year when there is much brood in the hive, and when the 
weather is cool, care must be taken not to expose the brood, 
so that it may become fatally chilled. 

The best time for performing it, is about ten days after the 
voluntary or forced departure of a first swarm from the old 
stock. By this time, the brood left by the old queen, will 
all be sealed over, and old enough to bear the necessary 
exposure. A temperature, not lower than 70°, will do them 
no harm, for if exposed to such a temperature, they will 
hatch, even if taken away from the bees. 

I have spoken of the lest time for transferring. It may 
be done at any season of the year when the bees can fly 
without danger of being chilled, and I should not be afraid 



310 TRANSFERRING BEES. 

to attempt it, in mid-winter, if the weather was as warm as 
it sometimes is. At the same lime, / do not recommend that 
it should be done, unless a person is very anxious, for the 
purpose of experiment, to obtain a colony in a movable- 
comb hive. In my own Apiary, may be found bees which 
I have purchased in old box hives, of the rudest construction, 
and with all my experience in transferring, I am unwilling 
to dispossess them ; for 1 can use them as stock hives, and 
compel them to yield me swarms and bees, at pleasure. As 
a general rule, it is best not to transfer a stock which is well 
eslablished, with the right kind of comb, in anything that 
will hold them and shelter them from the weather. In the 
great majority of instances, the bee-keeper who knows how 
to make swarms from such colonies, will find himself a loser, 
by transferring them to any other hive. 

In all operations involving the transferring of bees, it is 
exceedingly desirable that the new hives should be put, as 
near as possible, where the old ones stood. If other colo- 
nies are in close proximity, the bees may be tempted to 
enter the wrong hives, if their position is changed only a 
little ; they are almost sure to do this, if the others resemble 
more closely than the new one, their former habitation. It 
will be often advisable, to transport to the distance of one or 
two miles, the stocks which are to be transferred. In a few 
weeks they may be brought back to the Apiary. In hiving 
swarms, and transferring stocks, great care should always 
be taken to prevent the bees from getting mixed with those 
of other colonies. If this precaution is neglected, many 
bees will be lost by joining other stocks, where they may be 
kindly welcomed, or may at once be put to death. It is 
exceedingly difficult to tell before hand, what kind of recep- 
tion strange bees will meet with, from a colony which they 
attempt to join. In the working season they are much more 



TRANSFERRING BEES. 311 

likely to be well received, than at any other time, especially 
if they come loaded with honey : still new swarms full of 
honey, that attempt to enter other hives, are often killed at 
once. If a colony which has an unimpregnated queen, seeks 
to unite with another which has a fertile one, ihey are, almost 
as a matter of course, at once destroyed ! If by moving 
their hive, or in any other way, bees are made to enter a 
hive containing an unimpregnated queen, they will often 
destroy her, if they came from a family which was in pos- 
session of a fertile one ! If any thing of this kind is ever 
attempted, the queen ought first to be confined in a queen 
cage. If while attempting a transfer of the bees to a new 
hive, I am apprehensive of robbers attacking the combs, or 
am pressed for want of time, I put only such combs as con- 
tain brood into the frames, and set the others in a safe place. 
The bees are now allowed to enter their new hive, and the 
other combs are given to them at a more convenient time. 
The whole process of transferral need not occupy more than 
an hour, and in some cases it can be done in fifteen minutes. 
If the weather is hot, the combs must not be exposed at all 
to the heat of the sun. 

Until 1 had tested the feasibility of transferring bees from 
the old hives, by means of my frames, I felt irreconcilably 
opposed to atjy attempt to dislodge them from their previous 
habitation. Who can look, without disgust, when bees are 
transferred in the usual way, upon the wanton destruction of 
thousands of their young, and the silly waste of comb, 
which can be replaced only by the consumption of large 
quantities of honey ? In the great majority of such cases, 
the transfer, unless made about the swarming season, and 
previous to the issue of the first swarm, will be an entire 
failure, and if made before, at best only one colony is ob- 
tained, instead of the two, which are secured on my plan. 



S12 TRANSFERRING BEES. 

I never advise the transfer of a colony into any hive, unless 
their brood combs can be transferred with them, nor is it 
best for any except practical Apiarians, to attennpt to transfer 
them even to my hives. But what if a colony is so old that 
its combs can only breed dvi^arfs ? When I find such a col- 
ony, I shall think it worth while to give specific directions 
as to how it should be managed. The truth is, that of all 
the many mistakes and impositions which have disgusted 
multitudes with the very sound of " patent hive," none has 
been more fatal than the notion, that an old colony of bees 
couid not be expected to prosper. Thousands of the very 
best stocks have been wantonly sacrificed to this chimera ; 
and so long as bee-keepers, instead of studying the habits of 
the bee, prefer to listen to the interested statements of igno- 
rant, or enthusiastic, or fraudulent persons, thousands more 
will suffer the same fate. As to old stocks, the prejudice 
against them is just as foolish, as the silly notions of some 
who imagine that a woman is growing old, long before she 
has reached her prime. Many a man of mature years, who 
has married a girl or a child, instead of a woman, has 
often had both time enough, and cause enough to lament 
his folly. 

It cannot be too strongly urged upon all who keep bees, 
either for love or for money, to be exceedingly cautious in 
trying any new hive, or new system of management. If 
you are ever so well satisfied that it will answer all your 
expectations, enter upon it, at first, only on a small scale ; 
then, if it fulfills all its promises, or if you can make it do 
so, you may safely adopt it : at all events, you will not 
have to mourn over large sums of money spent for nothing, 
and numerous powerful colonies entirely destroyed. "Let 
well enough alone," should, to a great extent, be the motto 
of every prudent bee-keeper. There is, however, a golden 



TRANSFERRma BEES. 313 

mean between the obstinate and stupid conservatism, wbicli 
tries nothing new, and, of course, learns nothing new, and 
that craving after mere novelty, and thatrash experimenting on 
an extravagant scale, which are so characteristic of a large 
portion of our American people. It would be difficult to 
find a better maxim than that v^^hich is ascribed to David 
Crocket : " Be sure you're rights then go ahead.'''' 

What old bee-keeper has not had abundant proof that 
stocks eight or ten years old, or even older, are often among 
the very best in his whole Apiary, always healthy, and 
sv/arming with almost unfailing regularity ! I have seen 
such hives, which for more than fifteen years, have scarcely 
failed, a single season, to throw a powerful swarm. (See 
page 14. 

1 have already spoken of old stocks flourishing for a long 
term of years, in hives of the roughest possible construction ; 
and I shall now, in addition to my previous remarks, assign a 
new reason for such unusual prosperity. Without a single 
exception, T have found one or both of two things to be 
true, of every such hive. Either it was a very large hive^ 
or else if not of unusual size, it contained a large quantity 
of worker-comb. No hive v/hich does not contain a good 
allowance of comb, adapted to the rearing of workers, can 
ever in the nature of things, prove a valuable stock hive. 
Pvlany hives are so full of drone combs that they breed a 
cloud of useless consumers, instead of the thousands of in- 
dustrious bees which ought to have occupied their places in 
the combs. 

Before closing this Chapter, I must again strongly caution 
all inexperienced bee-keepers, against attempting to transfer 
colonies from an old hive. I am determined that if any find 
that they have made a wanton sacrifice of their bees, they 
shall not impute their loss to my directions. If they persist 
27 



314 UNITING STOCKS. 

in making the attempt, let them, by all means, either do it 
at break of day, before the bees of other hives will be in- 
duced to commence robbing ; or better still, let them do it, 
not only early in the morning, but let them carry the hive 
on which they intend to operate, to a very considerable dis- 
tance from the vicinity of the other hives, and entirely out 
of sight of the Apiary. I much prefer this last plan, as I 
then run no risk of attracting other bees to steal the honey, 
and acquire mischievous habits. 

The bee-keeper is very often reminded, by the actions of 
his bees, of some of the worst traits in poor human nature. 
When a man begins to sink under misfortunes, how many 
are ready, not simply to abandon him, but to pounce upon 
him like greedy harpies, dragging, if they can, the very 
bed from under his wife and helpless children, and appro- 
priating all, which by any kind of maneuvering, they can 
possibly transfer to their already overgrown coffers ! Wiih 
much the same spirit, more pardonable to be sure in an in- 
sect, the bees from other hives, will gather around the one 
which is being broken up, and while the disconsolate owners 
are lamenting over their ruined prospects, will, with all im- 
aginable rapacity and glee, bear off every drop which they 
can possibly seize. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Uuilinff Stocks — Wintering Bees. 



Frequent allusions have been made, to the importance, for 
various reasons, of breaking up stocks, and uniting them fo 
other families in the Apiary. Colonies which, late in the Fall, 



UNITING STOCKS. 315 

or early in the Spring, are found to be queenless, ought at 
once to be managed thus, for even if not speedily destroyed 
by their enemies, they are only consumers of the stores 
which they gathered in their happier days. 

As very small colonies, even though possessed of a healthy 
queen, are never able to winter as advantageously as large 
ones, ihe bees from several such colonies ought to be put 
together, to enable them, by keeping up the necessary animal 
heat, to survive the Winter with less food, A certain 
quantity of heat must be maintained by bees, in order to live 
at all, and if their numbers are too small, they can only 
keep it up, by eating more than they otherwise would. A 
small swarm will thus, not unfrequenlly, consume as much 
honey as one containing two or three times as many bees. 
These are facts, which have been most thoroughly tested on 
a very large scale. On the same principle, if a hundred 
persons are to occupy, with comfort, a church capable of 
accommodating a thousand, more fuel will be required to 
warm the small number, than the large one. 

In uniting colonies, however, special care should be taken 
not to make the united stock over -populous. A large num- 
ber of bees is desirable, but a colony containing excessive 
numbers, is apt to become restless, and so voracious as to 
be liable to dysentery. In such hives, many bees are clus- 
tered so far from the stores, that honey cannot be regularly, 
if at all, dispensed to them ; and as the internal heat of the 
colony keeps them active, they become impatient for food, 
separate from the cluster, and are fatally chilled. Their 
restlessness leads to general confusion, and an inordinate 
consumption of honey by those which have access to the 
store-combs ; and this soon brings on the dysentery. There- 
fore, in this matter, as well as in the formation of swarms, the 



316 UNITING STOCKS, 

motto of the bee-keeper should be, "ne quid nimis/' nothing 
in excess, but everything in due nrioderation. 

If the stocks to be wintered, are in the common hives, the 
condemned ones must be drummed out of their old encamp- 
ment, sprinkled with sugnr-water scented with peppermint^ 
or some other pleasant odor, and added to the others, (see p, 
212.) 

I have already stated, that bees recognize each other by 
the sense of smell. If there should be a thousand hives in 
the Apiary, the bees of any one, v\^ill, by this sense, at once 
detect a stranger. This may to some appear almost incredi- 
ble ; but it is no more so, than the well known fact, that in 
the darkest night, each mother, in a large flock of sheep^ 
will, by the same sense, distinguish her own lamb from all 
the others. Any peculiarity in the scent of different hives, 
may, however, he easily removed, by some strong per- 
fume. 

A few summers ago, I made the discovery that the queen 
bee has a peculiar scent of her own, by which she is known 
to the colony, and that this is so permanent, that they will 
often, for a long time, adhere to any spot where she has 
been. 

If a queen is put into a paper cone, and then removed, it 
■will be found that the paper has, for some time, an attraction 
for the bees. They will run in and out, in an inquiring 
manner, and show that they are evidently looking for her. 
They will also run, in the same fashion, over our hands, 
after we have caught a queen, and even over the limb on 
which she lit, when the swarm came out. 

The colonies which are to be united, ought, if possible, 
to stand side by side, some time before this process is 
attempted. This can almost always be effected by a little 



UNITING STOCKS. SIT 

management ; for while it would not be safe, all at oncey 
when other hives are near, to move a colony, even a few 
yards, to the right or left of the line of flight in which the 
bees sally out to the fields, it may be moved a slight dis- 
tance one day, and a little more the next, and so on, until we 
have them, at last, in the desired place. 

As persons may sometimes be obliged to move their 
Apiaries, during the working season, I will here describe 
the manner in v/hich I once accomplished such a removal,, 
so as to benefit, rather than injure the bees. Selecting a 
pleasant day, I moved, early in the morning, a portion of 
my very best stocks. A considerable number of bees from 
these colonies, returned, in the course of the day, to the fa- 
miliar spot; after flying about for some time, in search of 
their hives, (if the weather had been chilly, many bees would 
have perished,), they at length entered those standing nearest 
their old homes. More of the strongest were removed, on- 
the next pleasant day ; and this process was repeated, until,, 
at last, only one hive was left in the old Apiary. This was 
then removed, and but few bees returned to the old spot. I 
thus lost no more bees, in moving a number of hives, than I 
should have lost in moving one ; and I conducted the process 
in such a way, as to strengthen some of my feeble stocks, 
instead of very seriously diminishing their scanty numbers. 
I have known the most serious losses to result from removing 
an Apiary in the usual manner. 

The process of uniting colonies, i« very simple. The 
combs, after the two colonies are sprinkled, are lifted out 
from the one to be broken up, and put, with all the bees upon 
them, directly into the other hive. If colonies which are to- 
be united, do not stand near each other, and cannot be moved 
in the gradual manner just described, they should be remov- 
ed to some distance, before a union is attempted. 
27* 



318 UNITING STOCKS. 

If the Apiarian wishes to save any small colonies, he can 
confine them to one half or one third of the central part of 
the hive, and fill the empty ends with straw, shavings, or 
any good non-conductor of heat. Any one of ihe frames, 
can, in a few minutes, by being wrapped around with a 
piece of old cotton cloth, or even a newspaper, be fashioned 
into a divider, which will answer all practical purposes, and 
if stuffed with cotton waste, &c,, it will keep the bees un- 
commonly warm. If a very small colony is to be preserved 
over Winter, the queen must be confined, in the Fall, and 
nnlil cold weather, by the device spoken of at the bottom of 
the page, to prevent the bees from deserting the hive. 

I shall now show how the bee-keeper who does not desire 
to increase his slocks, may yet obtain from a given number, 
the largest quantity of surplus honey. If his bees are kept 
in non-swarming hives, he may undoubtedly, reap a boun- 
teous harvest from the avails of their industr5^ I do not, 
however, give the preference to this mode of bee-keeping ; 
still there are many so situated that it may be much the best 
for them. Such persons, by using my hives, can pursue the 
non-swarming plan to the best advantage. They can man- 
age so as to confine their queens, and thus be sure that their 
colonies will not suddenly leave them ; a casualty to which all 
other non-swarming hives are sometimes liable ; and by 
taking away the honey in small quantities, they will always 
give the bees ample room for storage, and yet avoid the dis- 
couragement which ofien follows, when large boxes are 
taken from them. 

I have, at last, (July, 1856,) brought the device for pre- 
venting swarming, spoken of on page 202, to such perfec- 
tion that it can easily be applied to almost any hive, and un- 
less some conseque;7ces, now unforeseen, attend its use, the 
old queen may always be safely compelled to remain in the 



UNITING STOCKS. 819 

hive. I have strong hopes that after a first swarm has been 
allowed to issue, it may be used to prevent all after-swarm- 
ing : for if, as soon as piping is heard, it is adjusted to the 
hive, and kept in place about a week, the bees may allow 
the young queens to engage in mortal combat, and the sur- 
vivor will rule as mistress of the hive. 

By using what I shall call my " non-swarmer^^^ the most 
timid persons may effectually prevent the issue of swarms. 
If a little smoke is used when it is adjusted to the hive, not 
the least annoyance will be experienced from the bees. I 
liave ascertained, that by blowing a strong, steady stream of 
cold air upon bees, from a common bellows, or even 
from the mouth, they may be driven into their hive, or from 
their combs, while, as is well known, they will furiously 
resent a gentle current of warm breath from the lungs. 

From some experiments which I have just made with this 
non-s warmer, I find that the entrance may be so contracted 
as to rub off much of the pollen from the thighs of the bees^ 
while it still permits them to crowd into the hive I It may 
therefore be so adjusted as to prevent, in some cases, where 
it may be desirable, an excessive gathering of bee-breado 
(See p. 201.) 

If the old queens are removed, once in three years, the 
Apiarian can keep all his colonies in possession of queens, 
at the height of their fertility, and thus a most serious objec- 
tion to the non-swarming, or as it is frequently called, the 
storifying system, may be avoided. If at any time, new- 
colonies are wanted, they may be made in the manner al- 
read}'- described. 

*' Queens differ much as to the degree of their fertility. 
Those are best, v/hich deposit their eggs with uniform regu- 
larity, not leaving any cells unsupplied ; the result of which 
is, that the brood will emerge at the same time, from the 



320 UNiTma stocks. 

same range of comb, which may again be replenished by 
the queen, in the same uniform manner, without losing time 
in seeking for empty cells, amid a number still occupied by 
brood. Such a queen should be preserved, till a diminution 
of fertility becomes apparent." — [Wagner.] It is very evi- 
dent that some queens are much more orderly and sys- 
tematic than others, and are thus able to dispatch a much 
larger amount of business! 

In districts where the honey harvest is of very short con- 
tinuance, the non-swarming plan may be found to yield the 
largest quantity of honey, and if the season should prove 
unfavorable for the gathering of honey, it will usually secure 
the largest returns from a given number of stocks. I there- 
fore prefer to keep a considerable number of my colonies, 
on the storifying plan, and always secure from them, some 
honey, even in the most unfavorable seasons. Bee-keepers 
following my example, will not only be on the safe side, but 
will be able to determine which method the honey resources 
of their district, or a regard to their own convenience, will 
make it best for them to adopt, in order to secure the most 
from their bees. As a general rule, the Apiarian who in- 
creases the number of his colonies, one third in a season, 
making one very powerful swarm from two, (See p. 211,) 
will have more surplus honey from the three, than he could 
have obtained from the two, to say nothing of the value of 
his new swarms. If, at the approach of Winter, he wishes 
to reduce his slocks down to the Spring number, he may 
unite them in the manner described, appropriating all the 
good honey of those which he breaks up, and saving all 
their empty comb for the new colonies of the next season. 
The bees in the double stock will winter most admirably ; 
will consume less honey, in proportion to their numbers, and 
be in most excellent condition when the Spring opens. 



WINTERING BEES. 321 

It must not, however, be forgotten, that although they eat 
comparatively little in the Winter, unless they have been 
made over-populous, they must be well supplied in the 
Spring ; as they will then have a very large number of 
mouths to feed, to say nothing of the thousands of young 
bees bred in the hive. If any old-fashioned bee-keeper 
wishes, he can thus pursue the old plan, with only this modi- 
fication ; that he preserves the lives of the bees in the hives 
which he wishes to take up ; secures his honey without any 
fumes of sulphur, and saves the empty comb, to make it 
worth nearly ten times as much to himself, as it would be if 
melted into wax. No humane bee-keeper need ever feel 
that there is the slightest necessity for so managing his bees 
as to make the comparison of Shakspeare always ap- 
posite : 

" When like the Bee, tolling from every flower 
The virtuous sweets ; 

Our thighs packed with wax, our mouths, with honey, 
We bring it to the hive ; and like the bees, 
Are murdered for our pains." 

While I am an advocate for breaking up all stocks wliich 
cannot be wintered advantageously, I never advise that a 
single working-bee should be killed. Self-interest and hu- 
manity, alike forbid the unnecessary sacrifice. 

Wintering Bees. 

In the Chapter on protection against extremes of heat and 
cold, the proper principles on which the successful wintering 
of bees, in cold climates, depends, were discussed at some 
length. It was there shown how desirable it is, that the stocks 
should be kept as still and dry as possible, and neither too warm 
nor too cold. Even since the failure of a plan which seemed 
very promising, (see p. 124,) I have devoted much time and 



322 WINTERING BEES. 

thought to this most important branch of bee-keeping, but 
thus far without being able, except in one most important 
particular, available only in my hives, to make any essen- 
tial improvements on the plans of others. 

The usual mode of wintering bees, is to allow them to 
remain on their summer stands, and run the risk of all at- 
mospheric changes ; and perhaps for our Southern and 
South-Western States, there is no better way. In these 
States, colonies which are well supplied with bees and hon- 
ey, are seldom exposed to any degree of cold, severe enough 
to do them essential harm; while the attempt to shut them 
up in any depositary, would often be exceedingly injurious 
on account of the frequent recurrence of days so warm as 
to excite the bees, and almost ruin them, if prevented from 
flying. To those living in regions so highly favored for 
wintering bees, but few directions will be necessary. Let 
them be certain that their hives contain bees enough, and 
food enough, and are guarded against high winds, and the 
entrance of mice, which are much more destructive than 
where the winters are colder. 

The bee-keeper in cold climates, will find the Winter to 
be the greatest destroyer of his bees. If he sees fit to keep 
his stocks in the open air^ he must of course, be satisfied that 
iheir resources in food and numbers, are fully adequate to 
meet the necessities of such a situation, Too much care 
cannot be taken to shelter the hives, especially their entrances, 
against the piercing winds, which so powerfully tend to ex- 
haust their animal heat. Bees, if sheltered from the wind, wnll 
endure a temperature low enough to freeze mercury, with- 
out sufl^eringas much as by exposure to a powerful and long 
continued current of air, some 40 or 50 degrees warmer. 
The winter of 1855-6, will be long remembered, not only 
for the uncommon degree and duration of its cold, but for 



WINTERING BEES. 323 

the tremendous winds, which often for days together, swept 
like a Polar tornado, over the land. Apiaries standing in ex- 
posed situations, were in many instances, almost wholly de- 
stroyed. The bees, having exhausted the honey in the combs 
where they were clustered, were unable to stir, and thus died 
in hives where there was an abundant supply of food. 

In this connection, I will show how, in my hives, I guard 
bees against such a fate. It is well known, that as cold 
weather approaches, the bees recede from the outside 
combs, and gather themselves into a compact mass, in the 
center of the hive, so as to husband their animal heat to the 
best advantage. As these central combs are those most oc- 
cupied for raising brood, they are seldom very generously 
stored with honey, and if the cold is extreme, and of very 
long continuance, the bees must of necessity exhaust the 
supplies within their reach. Strong colonies frequently 
having some brood, even in the depth of winter, are very 
reluctant to abandon it, and if the extreme cold prevents them 
from procuring supplies from the other combs, they prefer to 
die upon their brood, rather than move in a mass to those 
combs, even vt'hen able to do so. Such a calamity can easily 
be remedied by the use of the movable-comb hive. In the 
latter part of October, or some time before bees cease to tiy, 
the hives should be opened, and three or four of the combs 
most generously stored with honey, placed in the center ;'care 
being taken that no drone comb is used for this purpose. 
When the bees gather towards the central combs, to econo- 
mize their animal heat, they will thus find themselves not 
only in combs suitable for rearing workers, but such as are 
most amply stored with honey ! 

It may appear strange that the sagacity of the bee, so per- 
fect in most respects, should seem to fail on a point of so 
much importance as the proper disposition of its winter stores. 



324 WINTERING BEES. 

To this I would reply ; 1st, that the bee is not a native of a 
cold climate, and that therefore its arrangements are not 
made with reference to such a contingency ; and 2nd, that in a 
state of nature, the bee, in cold climates, building long combs, 
in hollow trees, is not liable to be caught, as in our fiat hives, 
in brood combs in which there is little or no honey. We 
might, to be s-ire, as in the Polish hive, guard them against 
this danger, by making our hives very tall, but it could only 
be done, by sacrificing other points of greater importance. 

I shall here describe a disadvantage to which all hives 
with movable frames, are liable, in cold latitudes, and which, 
if not remedied, may often prove of serious injury to the 
bees. As the honey-bee is a native of a warm climate, it 
does not, in making passages from one comb to another, have 
reference to Winter, any more than it does in storing its sur- 
plus honey. In the common hive, as the combs are attached 
to the top and side, the bees, in order to get ready access, in 
Summer, from one comb to another, usually leave passages 
through the combs, instead of building them all solid. In 
mine, however, as the frames touch neither the lop, sides, 
nor bottom of the hive, the bees have extraordinary facilities 
for intercommunication, and very seldom leave any holes in 
their combs. When cold weather surprises them, they are 
therefore more liable to be caught in empty combs, than 
colonies in hives of the usual construction. This difficulty 
is easily obviated. Roll up a stout piece of tin into a funnel, 
about five inches long, and one inch in diameter: let it be a 
little flaring, with a sharp edge at its smallest opening. A 
saw-like edge will always, if sharp, be most serviceable, in 
any instrument used for cutting comb. With this punch, it 
will take but a few moments to cut out a neat hole, in the 
center of each comb, a little more than one third from the 
top ! The movable-comb hive is then much better adapted 



WINTERING BEES. 325 

to the easy intercommunication of the bees in winter, than 
one of any other construction. 

To those who desire to avail themselves of some of the im- 
portant improvements in my hives, and who yet are too timid 
to open them and properly adjust the frames for winter, I 
would recommend the use of slats, with my peculiar guides 
for securing straight combs. In hives furnished with these 
slats, the bees will winter, without any special care, as well 
as in any other hive ; and if, at any time, their owner wishes 
to change the slats into frames, he will find no difficulty in 
cutting out the combs, shaking off the bees, and supplying the 
parts needed to complete the frames. In this way, after in- 
venting the frames, I managed to substitute them for the slats 
or bars, in all the hives in my Apiary ! 

Not only are hives with movable frames, if not opened and 
adjusted for winter use, liable to the serious objection already 
described, but while no better than those with slats, they are 
more costly, and all the money invested in making the 
frames, is worse than thrown away. I therefore strongly ad- 
vise, that slats only should be used, by all who from timidity, 
or any other reason, are indisposed to open their hives, and 
use the extraordinary facilities for the management of bees, 
furnished by movable frames, unless they can secure the ser- 
vices of a competent assistant. All money invested in frames, 
will be of as little service to such persons, as capital invested 
in labor-saving machinery, by those who cannot or will not 
use it. 

If the hives are to be kept out of doors, it will be necessa- 
ry, especially when they are not made of doubled materials, or 
very thick stuff, to give the bees a liberal allowance of air, 
guarding them at the same time from high winds. A ventiia- 
tor on the bottom board, 4 inches long by 2 wide, with coarse 
wire-cloth nailed over the upper side, will admit all the air 
28 



826 WINTERING BEES. 

needed, and in a manner the least injurious to the bees. If 
a few of the holes on the surplus honey-board, are left open, 
the moisture or breath of the bees, will ascend into the upper 
cover, from which it cannot, in my hive, return to annoy the 
colony. 

When the fullest honey-combs are put in the center of the 
hive, in the Fall, a colony may be very much aided in re- 
sisting the cold, by removing four combs from the hive, two 
from each end. An empty frame v^ell wrapped around with 
cloth, or even with an old newspaper, should then be set up 
close to the full ones, and the vacant spaces on each end, 
filled with cotton, shavings, straw, &;c. If the combs remov- 
ed have any sealed honey in them, and the hive is not amply 
provisioned, the caps of the cells may be sliced off, and the 
frames put on the spare honey-board, some of the holes 
leading into the hive being opened, so that the bees may 
remove their contents. During all these operations, smoke 
or sugar-waler must be used, to keep the bees from annoying 
the operator. By confining the bees to fewer combs in the 
winter, they will be able to economize their animal heat to 
much better advantage, and the vacant spaces, filled as di- 
rected, will give them extraordinary protection against the 
cold. 

Great caution should be used in doing anything to bees in 
cold weather. Irreparable mischief is often occasioned by 
disturbing a colony at such a time, especially, if many are 
tempted to separate themselves from the cluster, and some 
even to fly ; before they become quiet again, many bees 
often perish, and the whole mass being disturbed, when they 
ought 10 *be in almost deathless repose, are tempted to eat 
a much larger quantity of food than they would otherwise 
have needed. If, however, the weather should remain very 
cold for a long time, it will often be necessary to carry the 



WINTERING BEES. 327 

hives into a moderately warm room, until the frost is all 
thawed out of them, when they can again be returned to their 
stands. It will also be advisable, about once in six weeks, 
to clean the bottom-boards of dead bees. Tn the movable 
comb-hive, this is done by a small scraper made of a piece of 
iron wire about two feet long ; this,when heated, is bent at right 
angles (like a poker), and the scraper part, which should be 
about four inches long and flattened out to one quarter of an 
inch wide, should be brought to an edge on both sides. 
With a very little smoke, by means of this scraper, the bot- 
tom-board may, in a few moments, be cleared of every dead 
bee, and all other refuse. (See Implements.) 

If strips of wood 1-4 of an inch thick, are in the Fall, 
laid upon the rabbets, and the frames raised upon them, the 
bottoms of the frames will be 3-4 of an inch above the bot- 
tom-board of the hive ; this will still allow a current of air 
to pass over the tops of the frames, and will give ample room 
for the discharge of dead bees, die, below the frames. I 
should not, however, recommend this arrangement, except 
where passages have been made, as above described, through 
the combs. The frames might easily be elevated still higher 
above the bottom-board, by deeper strips, if on trial, any 
advantage was found in such an arrangement. 

The bee-keeper who winters his colonies out of doors, 
should remember that they are never to have their entrances 
so closed, that they cannot fly at pleasure. Many bees, it is 
true, will be lost upon the snow, but often the larger part of 
these are diseased, and the hive is better without them. If 
the snow is hard enough to bear it up, a healthy bee is sel- 
dom lost, unless tempted to leave its home, by the unusual 
warmth of a clear sun, shining full upon the hive standing 
in a sheltered place. It is better, however, to lose a few 
bees in this way, than to incur the serious risk of shutting 



328 WINTERING BEES. 

up the hive. It sometimes happens that the sun comes out 
very Mrarm, when the ground is covered with fleecy, new- 
fallen snow, the light shining upon which, so blinds the bees, 
that they cannot distinguish objects, or find their home, but 
sinking at once into the powdered snow, soon perish. At 
such times it would probably be better to confine the bees to 
the hive. 

Bees when heavily loaded with faeces, are much more 
liable to be lost in the snow, than at any other period. It is 
therefore, very desirable that the first time they fly abroad 
after their winter confinement, the day should be calm and 
mild. After my' bees have once made their Spring flight, 
and returned in safely, I apprehend but little danger from the 
snow ; for they will not often leave the hive again until the 
weather is genial, and if they do, they seldom fail to return. 

In latitudes where the cold is steady, and much snow falls, 
some Apiarians allow it to cover over their hives, and find 
that they winter most admirably under a snow bank ! Others 
cover them with boughs of hemlock, or other evergreens, 
and then are glad to see them buried out of sight under the 
snow. I have known some stocks, thus cared for, to winter 
in perfection. If the entrance for the admission of air is 
sufficient, ihey never suffocate. (See p. 120.) 

Having discussed the precautions to be observed when 
bees are to be wintered out of doors, or in Apiaries where 
they feel the various atmospheric changes, I shall now de- 
scribe the methods which have been most successfully 
pursued, by those who aim to protect them, in a great meas- 
ure, from such changes. A very dry cellar, where the bees 
can be kept in perfect darkness, and without having their 
hives at all jarred, is undoubtedly one of the best possible 
places for wintering bees. (See p. 116.) 

In some countries, it is customary to deposit all the colonies 



WINTERING BEES. 329 

of an entire village, in a common vault or cellar. Dzierzon 
says, "A dry cellar is very well adapted for wintering 
bees, even though it be not wholly secure from frost ; the 
temperature virill still be much milder, and more uniform 
than in the open air ; the bees will be more secure from dis- 
turbance, and will be protected from the piercing cold winds, 
which cause more injury than the greatest degree of cold- 
when the air is calm." 

The same writer says, " Universal experience teaches that 
the more effectually bees are protected from disturbance and 
from the variations of temperature, the belter will they pass' 
the Winter, the less will they consume of their stores, and? 
the more vigorous and numerous will they be in the Spring. 
I have therefore constructed special winter quarters for my 
bees, near my Apiary. This is weather-boarded both out- 
side and within, and the intervening space is filled with hay 
or tan, &c. ; the ground plat enclosed, is dug out to the depth 
of three or four feet, so as to secure a more moderate and 
equable temperature. When my hives are placed in this 
depositary, and the door locked, the darkness, uniform tem- 
perature, and entire repose the bees enjoy, enable them to 
pass the winter securely and prosperously. I usually place- 
here my weaker colonies, and those whose hives are not 
made of the warmest materials, and they always do well." 

It will be obvious that if such a structure is to be partly 
under ground, a very dry site must be selected for it. 

I shall here quote from one of the most common sense 
works on practical bee-keeping, which has ever been written 
in our language, and which I would strongly recommend 
every bee-keeper to purchase : J refer to the " Mysteries 
of bee-keeping explained, by M. Quinby." His treatise 
bears marks on almost every page, of being the work of am 
accurate, experienced, and thoroughly honest observer. 
28* 



330 WINTERING BEES. 

" I wished, says Mr. Quinby, " by keeping my bees warm 
to save them as well as honey, and at the same lime, get rid 
of the moisture usually collected in a hive. I have found 
that a large family expelled it much better than small ones ; 
and if all were put together in a close room, the animal heat 
from a large number combined, would be an advantage to 
the weak ones, at least, — this proved of some benefit. Yet 
I found on the side of a glass hive, that large drops of wa- 
ter would stand for weeks." 

" The following suggestion then came to my relief. If 
this hive was bottom up, what would prevent all this vapor 
as it arises from the bees from passing off .^ (It always rises 
when warm, if permitted.) The hive was inverted ;* in a 
few hours the glass was dry." 

'^ This was so perfectly simple, that I wondered I had not 
thought of it before, and wondered still more that some one 
of the many intelligent apiarians had never discovered it. I 
immediately inverted every hive in the room, and kept them 
in this way till spring ; when the combs were perfectly 
bright, not a particle of mould to be seen, and was well satisfi- 
ed with the result of my experiment. Although I was fearful 
that more bees would leave the hives when inverted, than if 
right side up, yet the result showed no difference. I had now 

tried both methods, and had some means of judging." 

****** 

" 1 have thus wintered them for the last ten years, and am 
extremely doubtful if a better way can be found. For sev- 
eral years I made use of a small bed-room in the house, 
made perfectly dark, in which I put about 100 stocks. It 

* Those using my hives, can leave off the spare honey-boards, when 
they place them in such a winter depositary ; this will permit all 
dampness to escape, and will at the same time, prevent dead bees, and 
other refuse, from falling among the combs, which cannot be avoided 
when hives are turned up-side down. 



WINTERING BEES. 331 

was lathed and plastered, and no air admitted, except what 
might come through the floor. It was single, and laid rather 
close, though not matched." 

" In the fall of 1849 I built a room for this purpose ; the 
frame was eight by sixteen feet square, and seven high, 
without any windows. A good coat of plaster was put on 
the inside, a space of four inches between the siding and lath 
was filled with saw-dust ; under the bottom I constructed a 
passage for the admission of air, from the north side ; anoth- 
er over head for its exit, to be closed and opened at 
pleasure, in moderate weather, to give them fresh air, but 
closed when cold, and so arranged as to exclude all the light. 
A partition was extended across near the center. This was 
to prevent disturbing the whole by letting in light when car- 
rying them out in the spring. By closing the door of this 
partition, those in one room only need be disturbed at once." 

" Shelves to receive the hives were arranged in tiers one 
above the other ; ihey were loose, to be taken down and put 
up at pleasure. Suppose we begin at the back end : the first 
row is turned directly on the floor, a shelf is then put across 
a few inches above them, and filled, and then another shelf, 
still above, when we again begin on the floor, and continue 
thus till the room is full ; or if the room is not to be filled, 
the shelves may be fixed around the sides of the room in two 
or three courses. This last arrangement will make it very 
convenient to inspect them at any time through the winter, 
yet they should be disturbed as little as possible. The man- 
ner of stowing each one is to open the holes in the top, then 
lay down two square sticks, such as are made by splitting a 
board, of suitable length, into pieces about an inch wide. 
The hive is inverted on these ; it gives a free circulation 
through the hive, and carries ofiT all the moisture as fast as 
generated." 



832 WINTERING BEES. 

" The temperature of such a room Vvrill vary according to 
the number and strength of the stocks put in ; 100 or more 
would be very sure to keep it above the freezing point at all 
times. Putting a very few into such a room, and depending 
on the bees to make it warm enough, would be of doubtful 
utility. If these means will not keep the proper temperature, 
probably some other method would be better. All full 
stocks would do well enough, as they would almost any way. 
Yet I shall recommend housing them whenever practicable. 
If the number of stocks is few, let the room be proportion- 
ably small. It is the smallest families that are most trouble : 
if they are too cold, it may be known by the bees leaving 
the hive in cold weather, and spots of excrement on the 
combs ; they should then have some additional protection ; 
close part or all the holes in the top, cover the open bottom 
partially or wholly, and confine to the hive as much as 
possible the animal heat ; when these means fail, it may be 
necessary to take them to a warm room, during the coldest 

weather." 

****** 

" A few warm days will often occur, towards spring, be- 
fore we can get our bees out. In these cases, a bushel or 
two of snow or ice pounded up should be spread on the floor ; 
it will absorb and carry off as it melts much of the heat, that 
is now unnecessary, and will keep them quiet much longer 
than without it; (provision for getting rid of this water 
should be made when putting down the floor.)" 

" The time for carrying out bees is generally in March, 
but some seasons later, A warm pleasant day is the best, 
and one quite cold, better than one only moderately warm. 
After their long confinement, the light attracts them out at 
once, (unless very cold air prevents,) and if the rays of a 
warm sun do not keep them active, they will soon be chilled 



WINTERING BEES. 333 

and lost. Some bee-keepers take out their stocks at evening. 
If we could be always sure of having the next day a fair one, 
it would probably be the best time ; but should it be only 
moderate, or cloudy, it would be attended with considerable 
loss — or if the next day should be quite cold, but few would 
leave, and then the only risk would be to get a good day^ 
before one that was just warm enough to make them leave 
the hive, but not quite enough to enable them to return." 

" When too many are taken out at once, the rush from all 
the hives is so much like a swarm, that it appears to confuse 
them. Some of the stocks by this means will get more bees 
than actually belong to them, while others are proportionately 
short, which is unprofitable, and to equalize them is some 
trouble ; yet it may be done. Being all v/intered in one 
room, the scent or the means of distinguishing their own 
family from strangers, becomes so much alike, that they 
mix together without contention." 

" By taking advantage of this immediately, or before the 
scent has again changed, and each hive has something pecu- 
liar to itself^ you can change the stand of very weak and 
very strong families." 

" To prevent, as far as possible, some of these bad effects, 
I prefer waiting for a fair day to begin, and then not until 
the day has become sufficiently warm to make it safe from 
chill." 

If the place selected for a winter depositary, is liable to 
heavy or frequent jars, it will prove very injurious to the 
bees, by constantly exciting them to undue activity ; for 
this reason it is always better that the hives should stand 
on the earth, or at least on supports which are not con^ 
nected with the building, if it is used for other purposes. 
On the whole, Winter depositaries, however admifable 
for well-informed and experienced Apiarians, will, in the 



334 ROBBING. 

hands of novices, prove destructive to bees ; for such per- 
sons will be very liable to commit mistakes in their man- 
agement, especially by removing their colonies from them 
too early, or allowing them to remain too late. Indeed, the 
most experienced, sometimes incur heavy losses of bees, by 
a very sudden change of weather on the day of their 
removal. 

In my hives, I can greatly diminish this risk, by shortening 
the time required by a colony to discharge their faeces. As 
soon as the sun shines with sufficient power, I remove the 
lop cover from the hives, and take off the spare honey 
board, so as to permit its full warmth to shine directly upon 
the bees : this, in a few moments, warms them up, and 
rouses them to wonderful activity, so that they will discharge 
their faeces in an unusually short time, and with the loss of 
very few bees. 

In the Chapter on Feeding bees, I shall furnish the proper 
directions, as to the time and mode of feeding, when colo- 
nies have not a sufficient supply of stores for the Winter. 



CHAPTER XVL 

Robbing, and how prevented. 

In this chapter, I shall be obliged, though much against 
my will, to acknowledge that some branches of morals in 
our little friends, need very close watching, since they are 
often guilty of making no honest distinction between " mine 
and thine." The truth is, that bees are exceedingly prone 
to rob each other, and unless suitable precautions are used, 



ROBBING. 335 

the Apiarian will occasionally lose some of his most prom- 
ising stocks. When any departure is made from the old- 
fashioned mode of management, the liability to such misfor- 
tunes is increased, unless all operations are performed by 
careful and well informed persons. Before describing the 
precautions which I successfully employ, to guard against 
robbing, I shall first explain, under what circumstances bees 
are ordinarily disposed to plunder each other. 

Idleness is with bees, as with men, a most fruitful mother 
of mischief Hence, it is almost always when they are 
doing nothing in the fields, that they are templed to increase 
their stores by dishonest courses. Bees are, however, much 
more excusable than the lazy rogues of the human family ; 
for they are idle, not from indisposition to work, but for the 
want of something to do. Unless there is some gross mis- 
management, on the part of their owner, they seldom at- 
tempt to live upon stolen sweets, when they have ample 
opportunity to reap the abundant harvests of honest in- 
dustry. 

In the Spring, as soon as the bees are able to fly abroad, 
they begin to feel the force of an innate love of honey- 
getting.* Unable to find anything in the fields, they at once 
attempt to appropriate the spoils of some weaker hive. 
They are often impelled to this, by the pressure of imme- 
diate want, or the salutary dread of approaching famine ; 
but truth obliges me to confess that not unfrequently some of 
the strongest stocks, Vs^hich have all they would be able to 
consume, even if they gathered nothing more for a whole 
year, are the most anxious to prey upon the meager posses- 
sions of some feeble colony. Just as some rich men, who 
have more money than they can ever use, urged on by the 
insatiable love of gain, " oppress the hireling in his wages, 
* " Iiinatas urget amor habendi." — Virgil. 



336 * ROBBING. 

the widow and the fatherless," and spin, on all sides, their 
crafty webs to entrap their poorer neighbors, who seldom 
escape from their toils, until, beggared of all their worldly- 
goods, they resemble the skins and skeletons which line the 
nest of some voracious old spider. 

When I have seen a powerful hive, of the kind just de- 
scribed, condemned in the Fall, by its owner, to the sulphur 
pit, or deprived unexpectedly of its queen, its own stores 
plundered, and its combs eaten up by the worms, it has 
seemed a striking symbol of the destruction denounced 
against those who make dishonest gains " their hope, and 
who say unto the fine gold, thou art my confidence." 

To prevent colonies from attempting to rob, they should 
be examined in the Spring, to ascertain that they have 
honey, and are in possession of a fertile queen. If they 
need food they are supplied with it, (see Chapter on Feed- 
ing,) and if feeble or queenless, they are managed according 
to the directions already given. Bees seem to have an in- 
stinctive perception of the condition of feeble colonies, and 
like the moth, are almost certain to attack such stocks, 
especially when they have no queen. Hence I usually infer 
that a colony is queenless, when robbers are constantly at- 
tempting to force an entrance into it. 

Unless tempted by injudicious management, bees rarely 
overcome a colony which is in all respects in a healthy 
state. Such a colony may be assailed by a few marauders 
who are ever prowling about in search of spoils, but these 
bees are glad to escape with their lives, from the resolute 
defence of a healthy hive. As a queenless colony, or one 
almost devoured by worms, may be considered, in a state of 
nature, as of no account, the propensity which leads bees to 
be ever on the alert to pilfer, may have been given them 
to prevent any honey from going to waste ! 



ROBBING. 337 

It requires some knowledge of the habits of bees, to de- 
cide from their motions, whether they are flying about a 
strange hive with some evil intent, or whether they belong 
to the hive before which they are hovering. A little expe- 
rience, however, will soon enable us to discriminate between 
the honest inhabitants of a hive, and the robbers which so 
often mingle themselves with the crowd. There is an un- 
mistakable air of roguery about a thieving bee, which 
to the observing Apiarian, proclaims the nature of his 
calling, just as truly as the appearance of a pickpocket in a 
crowd, enables the experienced police officer, to distinguish 
him from the honest folks, on whom he intends to exercise 
his skill. 

There is a certain sneaking look about a pilfering bee, 
almost indescribable, and yet perfectly apparent. He does 
not alight on the hive, and boldly enter at once, like an hon- 
est laborer, carrying home his load. If he could only 
assume the appearance of such transparent honesty, he 
would often be allowed by the unsuspecting door-keepers, to 
enter unquestioned, see all the sights within, and help him- 
self to the sweets of the land. But there is a sort of ner- 
vous haste, and guilty agitation, in all his movements ; he 
never alights boldly upon the entrance board, or faces the 
guards which watch the passage to the hive ; knowing too 
well that if caught and overhauled by these trusty guardians, 
his life would hardly be worth insuring ; hence his anxiety 
10 glide in, without touching any of the sentinels. If de- 
tected by his strange smell, having no pass-word to give, he 
is very speedily dealt with, according to his just deserts; 
while if he can only effect a secret entrance, those within, 
taking it for granted that all is right, seldom subject him to a 
close examination. 

Sometimes bees which have lost their way, are mistaken 
29 



338 ROBBING. 

by the inexperienced, for robbers ; there is, however, a most 
marked distinction between the conduct of the two. The 
lirrant rogue when caught, attempts with might and main, 
to pull away from his executioners, while the poor bewil- 
dered unfortunate shrinks into the smallest compass, like a 
cowed dog, and submits to whatever fate his captors may 
may see fit to award him. 

The class of dishonest bees which I have been describing, 
may be termed the " Jerry Sneaks " of their profession, 
and after following it for some time, they lose all disposition 
for honest pursuits, and assume a hang-dog sort of look, 
which is very peculiar. Constantly creeping into small holes, 
and daubing themselves with honey, they often lose all the 
bright feathers and silky plumes which once so beautifully 
adorned their bodies, and assume a smooth and almost black 
appearance; just as the hai of the thievish loafer, acquires 
a "seedy" aspect, and his garments, a shining and thread- 
bare look. Dzierzon is of opinion that the black bees vvhich 
Huber describes as so bitterly persecuted by the r3st, are 
nothing more than these thieving bees. I call them old con- 
victs, dressed in prison uniform, and incurably given up to 
dishonest pursuits. 

Bees occasionally act the part of highway robbers ; some 
half dozen or more, will waylay and attack a poor humble- 
bee returning to its nest with a sack full of honey, like an 
honest trader, jogging home with a well filled purse. They 
seize the poor fellow, giving him at once to understand that 
they must have the earnings of his industry. They do not 
slay him ! Oh no ! not ihey ! they are far too selfish to en- 
danger their own precious persons ; and even if they could 
kill him, without losing their weapons, they would be unable 
to extract his sweets from the deep recesses of his honey 
bag : they therefore begin to bite and teaze him, after the 



ROBBING. 339 

most approved fashion, all the time singing in his ears, (not 
your money, but) " your honey or your life ;" until utterly 
discouraged, he delivers up his purse, by disgorging his 
honey from its capacious receptacle. The graceless crea- 
tures now cry, " Hands off!" and release him at once, while 
they eagerly lick up his spoils, to be carried to their own 
home. 

The remark is frequently made that were rogues to spend 
half as much time and ingenuity in gaining an honest living, 
as they do, in seeking to defraud their fellow-men, their 
efforts would often be crowned with abundant success. 
Just so of many a dishonest, bee. If he only knew his true 
interests, he would be safely roving the smiling fields, in 
search of honey, instead of longing for a tempting and yet 
dangerous taste of forbidden sweets. 

Bees sometimes carry on their depredations on a more 
imposing scale. Having ascertained the weakness of some 
neighboring colony, through the sly intrusions of those who 
have entered its hive to spy out all " the nakedness of the 
land," they prepare for war, in the shape of a pitched battle. 
The well-armed warriors sally out by thousands, to attack 
the feeble hive against which they have declared so unjust a 
warfare. A furious onset is at once made, and the ground 
in front of the assaulted hive, is soon covered with the dead 
and dying bodies of innumerable victims. Sometimes the 
baffled invaders are compelled to sound a retreat ; too often, 
however, as in human contests, right proves but a feeble 
barrier against superior might ; the citadel is stormed, and 
the work of rapine and pillage forthwith begins. And yet 
after all, matters are not nearly so bad, as at first they 
seemed to be. The conquered bees, perceiving that there is 
no hope for them in maintaining the unequal struggle, sub- 
mit themselves to the pleasure of the victors ; nay more. 



340 ROBBING. 

they aid ihem in carrying off their own stores, and are im» 
mediately incorporated into the triumphant nation ! The poor 
mother, however, is left behind in her deserted home, some 
few of her children faithful to the last, remaining with her, 
to perish by her side, amid the sad ruins of their once happy 
home ! 

If the bee-keeper does not wish to have his bees so de- 
moralized, that their value will be seriously diminished, he 
will be exceedingly careful to do all that he possibly can, to 
prevent them from robbing each other. He will see that all 
queenless colonies are seasonably broken up in the Spring, 
and all weak ones strengthened, and confined to a space 
which they can warm and defend. If once his bees get a 
taste of forbidden sweets, they will seldom stop until they 
have tested the strength of every hive, and destroyed all 
that they possibly can. Even if the colonies are able to 
defend themselves, many bees will be lost in these encoun- 
ters, and a large waste of time will invariably follow ; for 
bees whether engaged in attempting to rob, or in battling 
against the robbery of others, are, to a very great extent, 
cut off both from the disposition and ability to engage in 
useful labors. They are like nations impoverished by mutual 
assaults ; or on whom the mere apprehension of war, 
exerts a most blighting influence over every branch of peace- 
ful industry. 

I place great reliance on the movable blocks which guard 
the entrance to my hive, to assist colonies in defending 
themselves against robbing bees, as well as the prowling 
bee-moth. These blocks are triangular in shape, and enable 
the Apiarian to enlarge or contract, at pleasure, the entrance 
to the hive. In the Spring, the entrance is kept open only 
about two inches, and if the colony is feeble, not more than 
half an inch. If robbers are about, the small colonies have 



ROBBING. 341 

their entrances closed, so that only a single bee can pass at 
once. As the boltorn-board slants forward, the entrance is 
on an inclined plane, so that the bees which defend it, have 
a very great advantage over those which attack them ; the 
same in short, that the inhabitants of a besieged fortress 
would have in defending a pass- way similarly constructed. 
As only one bee can enter at a time, he is sure to be over- 
hauled, if he attempts, ever so slyly, to slip in ; his creden- 
tials are roughly demanded, and as he can produce none, he 
is at once delivered over to the executioners. If an attempt 
is made to gain admission by force, then as soon as a bee 
gets in, he finds hundreds, if not thousands, standing in 
battle array, and meets with a reception altogelhor too warm 
for his comfort. I have sometimes stopped robbing, even 
after it had proceeded so far that the assaulted bees had 
ceased to offer any successful resistance, by putting my 
blocks before the entrance, and permitting only a single bee 
to enter at once : the dispirited colony have immediately re- 
covered heart, and have battled so stoutly and successfully 
as to beat off their assailants. 

Wlien bees are engaged in robbing, they will often con- 
tinue their depredations as late as possible, and not unfre- 
quently some of them return home so late with their ill- 
gotten spoils, that they cannot find the entrance to their own 
hive. Like the wicked man who " deviseth mischief on his 
bed, and setteth himself in a way that is not good," they 
are all night long, meditating new violence, and with the 
very first peep of light, sally out to complete their unlawful 
doings. 

Bees with whom robbing has grown into a habit, will 

sometimes be so intent on the dishonest pursuit, as to neglect 

their own brood ! In this strange procedure, they closely 

resemble those unnatural husbands and fathers, who, in their 

29* 



342 ROBBING. 

mad pursuit of unlawful pleasure or dishonest profit, neglect to 
niake provision for the wants even of their own households, 

Sometinies the Apiarian may be in doubt whether a colony 
is being robbed or not, and naay confound the busy nunfibers 
arriving and departing, with the honest laborers of the hive ; 
but if he looks into the matter a little more closely, he will 
soon ascertain the true state of the case ; the bees that enter, 
instead of being heavily laden, with bodies hanging down, 
unwieldly in iheir flight, and slow in all their movements, 
are almost as hungry looking as Pharaoh's lean kine, while 
those that come out, show by their burly looks, that like al- 
dermen who have dined at the expense of the City, they are 
filled to their utmost capacity. 

If the Apiarian wishes to guard his bees against this fatal 
propensity to plunder each other, he must be exceedingly 
careful not to leave any combs filled with honey, unnecessa- 
rily exposed. An ignorant or careless person attempting to 
multiply colonies on my plan, will be almost sure to tempt 
his bees to dishonest courses. If he leaves any of the 
combs which he removes, where strange bees can find them, 
they will, after once getting a taste of the honey, fly to any 
hive upon which he begins to operate, and attempt to appro- 
priate a part of iis contents. 

It has already been stated, that bees, when they can find 
an abundance of food in the fields, are seldom inclined to 
rob ; for this reason, with suitable precautions, it is not diffi- 
cult to perform, at the proper season, all the operations 
"which are necessary on my plan of management, without 
any danger of demoralizing the bees. If, however, they 
are attempted when forage is scarce, they should be per- 
formed with extreme caution, and early in the morning, or 
late in the evening ; or if possible, on a day when the bees 
are not flying out from their hives. If bees once get a 



ROBBING. 843 

taste of honey from hives which are opened, they will watch 
the Apiarian so closely, that as soon as he begins to operate^ 
they will pounce upon the exposed colony, and endeavor to 
appropriate its stores ! 

1 have sometimes seen the most powerful colonies in an 
Apiary, either robbed and destroyed, or very greatly re- 
duced in numbers, by the gross carelessness or ignorance of 
their owner. He neglects, for instance, to examine his hives 
at the proper season, and the bees begin to rob a weak or 
queenless stock ; as soon as they are at the very height of 
their nefarious operations, he attempts to interfere with their 
proceedings, either by shutting up the hive, or by moving it 
to a new place. The air is now filled with greedy and dis- 
appointed bees, who, rather than fail in obtaining the ex- 
pected treasures, assail, with almost frantic desperation, some 
of the neighboring stocks ; in this way, the most powerful 
colonies are sometimes utterly ruined, or if they escape, 
thousands of bees are slain in defending iheir treasures, and 
thousands more of the assailants meet with the same un- 
timely end. 

" In Germany, when colonies in common hives are being 
robbed, it is customary to remove them temporarily to a dis'- 
tant location, or to set them in a dark cellar. A hive similar 
in appearance is then placed on their stand, and leaves of 
wormwood and the expressed juice of the plant are put on 
the bottom-board. The bees have so strong an antipathy to 
the odor of this plant, that the assailants speedily forsake the 
place : and the removed colony may then be brought back." 
(Wagner.) The oil of wormwood would be better still. 

If the Apiarian perceives that one of his colonies is 
being robbed, he should at once contract the entrance, so 
that only a single bee can get in at a time ; and if the rob- 
bers still persist in entering, he must close it entirely. In a 



344 EOBBING. 

few minutes the outside of the hive will be black with the 
greedy cormorants, and they will not abandon it, until they 
have explored every crevice, and attempted to force them- 
selves through ihe smallest openings. Before they assail a 
neighboring colony, they should be sprinkled with cold 
water, and then instead of feeling courage for new crimes, 
they will be glad to escape, thoroughly drenched, to their 
proper homes. Unless the bees that are shut up, can, as in 
my hives, have an abundance of air, it will be necessary to 
carry them at once into a dark and cool place. Early next 
morning, the condition of the hive should be examined, and 
the proper remedies applied ; if it is weak or queenless, or 
if its condition is past remedy, it should at once be broken 
up, and the bees united to another stock. 

I have been credibly informed of an exceedingly curious 
kind of robbing among bees, which appears to be a very 
close approximation to ihe story of the Kilkenny cats ! 
Two colonies, both in good condition, seemed determined to 
appropriate each other's labors : neither made any resistance 
to the entrance of the plundering bees ; but each seemed too 
busily intent upon its own dishonest gains, to notice that the 
work of subtraction kept equal pace with that of addition. 
Alas ! that there should be so much of equally short-sighted 
policy among human beings. How many individuals, commu- 
nities and nations, are seeking to thrive by attempting to prey 
upon the labors of others, instead of doing all that they can, 
by industry and enterprise, to add to the common stock ! I 
have never, in my own experience, met wiih an instance of 
such silly pilfering as the one described ; but I have known a 
colony having no mature queen to be carrying on their la- 
bors, while others were stealing much more ihan the occu- 
pants of the hive were gathering, without the rightful owners 
being at all aware of their rascality. 



FEEDING. 345 

On one occasion, I gave to a stock on which robbing bees 
were practicing such a base imposition, a fertile queen, at 
sundown, after the robbing had ceased. Next morning the 
bees gave the rogues such a warm reception, that they were 
glad to make a speedy retreat. May not the fertile mother 
give to each colony a peculiar scent? and may not a hive 
which has no such queen, be so pleased with the odor of 
other bees as to let .them do what they will with their 
stores ? 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Directions for Feeding Bees, 

There are few things in the practical department of the 
Apiary, more important, and yet more grossly neglected, or 
mismanaged, than the feeding of bees. To make this sub- 
ject as clear as possible, I shall begin with the Spring ex- 
amination of the hives, and furnish suitable directions for 
feeding, whenever it ought to be attempted. In the movable 
comb hives, the exact condition of the bees with regard to 
stores, may be easily ascertained, as soon as the weather is 
warm enough to lift out the frames. In the common hives, 
this can sometimes be learned from the glass sides ; but 
often, no reliable information can be obtained. Even if the 
weight of a hive' is known, this will be no sure criterion of 
the quantity of honey. The comb in old hives, is often very 
thick, and of course, unusually heavy ; while vast stores of 
useless bee-bread may entirely deceive the Apiarian, who 



346 FEEDING. 

attempls to judge of the resources of a hive, from its weiglit 
alone. On my system of bee-culture, such an injurious sur- 
phjs of bee-bread, is easily prevented. 

If, in the Spring, the bee-keeper ascertains, or even sus- 
pects, that his bees have not sufficient food, he must at once 
supply them with what they need. Bees, at this season of 
the year, consume a very large quantity of honey ; being 
stimulated to great activity by the returning warmth, they 
are compelled to eat much more than when they were almost 
dormant among their combs. In addition to this extra de- 
mand, they are now rearing thousands of young, which re- 
quire a liberal supply of food. Owing to inexcusable neglect, 
thousands of swarms perish annually even after Spring has 
opened, and when ihey might have been saved, with but little 
trouble or expense. Such abominable neglect is incompara- 
bly more cruel than the old method of killing the bees with 
sulphur ; and those guilty of it, are either too ignorant or 
careless, to have any thing to do with the management of 
bees. What would be thought of the skill of a farmer, who 
should neglect to provide for the wants of his cattle, and 
allow them to drop down lifeless in their stalls, or in his 
barn-yard, when the fields, in a few weeks, will be clothed 
again with the green mantle of delightful Spring ! If any 
farmer should do this, when food might easily be purchased, 
and should then, while engaged in the work of skinning the 
skeleton carcasses of his neglected herd, pretend that he could 
not afford to furnish, for a few weeks, the food which would 
have kept them alive, he would not be a whit more stupid 
than the bee-keeper attempting to justify himself on the 
score of economy, while engaged in melting the combs of a 
hive, starved to death, after the Spring has fairly opened ! 
Let such a person blush at the pretence that he could not 
afford to give his bees the few pounds of sugar or honey, 



FEEDING. 347' 

which would have saved their lives, and enabled them to 
repay him tenfold for his prudent care. 

It is best to feed the bees a little, even if they have 
enough and to spare. There seems to be an intimate con- 
nection between the getting of honey, and the rapid increase 
of breeding; and the taste of something sweet, however 
small the addition to their hoards, exerts a very stimulating 
effect upon the bees ; a few spoonsfull a day, will be grate- 
fully received, and will be worth much more to a stock of 
bees in the Spring, than at any other time. 

By judicious early feeding, a whole Apiary may not only 
be encouraged to breed much faster, but they will be in- 
spired with such vigor and enterprise, as to increase their 
stores with unusual rapidity. Great caution should be exer- 
cised in Spring feeding, to prevent bees from robbing each 
other, or filling with honey, the cells which ought to be 
supplied with brood. Unless they are Kiestitute of supplies, 
only a small allowance should be given them, and this from 
time to time ; and as soon as they begin to gather from the 
fields, the feeding should be discontinued. 

No greater mistake can be made than to feed largely at 
this season of the year. The bees, indeed, will take all they 
can, and store it in their cells, but what is the consequence ? 
The honey fills up their brood-combs, and thus the increase of 
population is most seriously checked ; so that often when 
stocks which have not been over-fed, are prepared not only 
to fill all the store combs in their main hive, but to take 
speedy possession of the spare honey boxes, a colony over- 
fed, is too small in numbers, to gather even as much as one 
not fed at all ! The inexperienced Apiarian has thus often 
made a worse use of his honey, than if he had actually 
thrown it away ! v/hile all the lime, he is deluding himself 



848 FEEDINa. 

with the vain expectation of reaping some wonderful profits, 
from what he has been taught to consider an improved mode 
of managing bees. 

Such conduct, in its results, resembles very much the 
noxious influences, under which too many of the children of 
the rich are so fatally reared. With every whim gratified, 
pampered and fed to the very full, how often do we see 
them disappoint all the fond expectations of parents and 
friends, their money proving only a curse, while not unfre- 
quently beggared in purse, and bankrupt in character, they 
prematurely sink to an ignoble or dishonored grave. Think 
of it, ye who are slaving in the service of Mammon, that ye 
may leave to your sons, the overgrown wealth which usually 
proves but a legacy of withering curses, if you have neglected 
to train them up in those habits of Christian morality, steady 
industry, and noble self-reliance, without which the wealth 
even of Croesus would be but a despicable portion ! Think 
of it, as you contrast its results in the bitter experience of 
thousands, with the happier influences under which so many 
of our noblest men in Church and State, have been nurtured 
and developed, and then pursue your sordid policy, if you 
can. " There is that withholdeth " from good objects, 
" more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty ;" yes, to 
poverty of Christian virtue and manliness, and of those 
" treasures" which we are all entreated by Christ himself, to 
" lay up " in the store-house of Heaven. Call your narrow- 
mindedness, and gross deficiencies in Christian liberality, 
nothing more than a natural love of your children, and an 
earnest desire to provide for your own household. Little 
fear there may be that you will ever incur the charge of 
being " worse than an infidel " on this point ; but lay not on 
this account, any flattering unction to your souls ; look 



FEEDING. 349 

within, and see if the base idolatry of gold has not far more 
to do with your whole course of thought and action, than 
any love of wife or children, relatives or friends ! 

A sermon ! does some one exclaim ? Would that it 
might be to some of my readers a word "fitly spoken,''' 
" like apples of gold in pictures of silver." 

The prudent Apiarian will always regard the feeding of 
bees, except the little given them by way of encouragement, 
as an evil to be submitted to, only when absolutely necessary ; 
and will very much prefer to obtain his supplies, from v/hat 
Shakspeare has so beautifully termed the " merry pillage " 
of the blooming fields, than from the more costly stores of 
the confectioner or grocer. If not engaged in the rapid 
increase of stocks, he v/ill seldom see a season so unfavor- 
able as to oblige him to purchase food for his bees, unless 
he chooses to buy a cheap article, to replace the choicer 
honey of which he has deprived them. As soon, however, 
as he commences a rapid multiplication of stocks, he must 
calculate upon feeding great quantities of honey to his bees. 
Before he attempts this on a large scale, let me once more 
give him a friendly caution, and if possible, persuade him to 
try very rapid multiplication with only a few of his stocks. 
In this way, he may experiment to his heart's content, with- 
out running the risk of seriously injuring his whole Apiary, 
and may not only gain the skill and experience which v/ill 
enable him subsequently to conduct a rapid increase, on a 
large scale, but may learn v/hether he is so situated, that he 
can profitably devote to it, the time and money which it will 
inevitably require. 

Before giving directions for feeding bees when a rapid 

increase of colonies is aimed at, I shall first show in what 

manner weak swarms may be fed in the Spring. If they 

are in the common hives, a small quantity of liquid sweets 

30 



350 FEEDING. 

may at once be placed among the combs in which the bees 
are clustered, by inverting the hives, and pouring in about a 
tea-cup full at once. The Apiarian can then see just where 
to put it, and need not fear that the bees will be hurt by it ; 
they will lick each other clean, and will be no more hurt or 
displeased than a child, by the sweets which adhere to its 
hands and face, as it feasts upon a generous allowance of 
the best sugar candy. When the bees have taken up all 
that has been poured upon them, the hive may be replaced, 
and the operation repeated in a few days : the oftener it is 
done, the better it will suit them. With my hives, I can 
pour the honey into some empty comb, and then put the 
frame containing it, directly into the hive : or I can set a 
feeder, or honey in the comb, in the hive, and near the 
frames which contain the bees. 

I have already slated, (p. 225,) that unless a colony can 
be supplied with a sufficient number of bees, it cannot be 
aided by giving it food. If the bees are not numerous 
enough to take charge of the eggs which the queen can lay, 
or at least, of a large number of them, they can seldom, 
miless they have a tropical season before them, increase 
rapidly enough to be of any value. If they are sufficiently 
numerous to raise a great many young bees, but too few to 
build new comb, they must be fed very moderately, or they 
will be sure to fill up their brood comb with honey, instead 
of devoting themselves to the rapid increase of their num- 
bers. If the Apiarian can give them plenty of empty 
worker comb, he ought to supply them quite sparingly with 
honey, even when they are considerably numerous, that they 
may breed as fast as possible ; not so sparingly, however, 
as to prevent them from storing up any honey in sealed 
cells ; or they will not be encouraged to breed, as fast as 
they otherwise would. If he has no spare comb, and the 



FEEDING. 351 

hive is populous enough to build new comb, it must be sup- 
plied moderately, and by all means, regularly^ with the 
materials for doing this ; as the object is to have comb 
building and breeding go on together, so as mutually to aid 
each other. If the feeding is not so regular, as to resemble 
the natural supplies, when honey is obtained from the blos- 
soms, the bees will not use the food given to them, in build- 
ing new comb, but chiefly in filling up all the cells previously 
built. If honey can be obtained regularly, and in suffi- 
cient quantities from the blossoms, the small colonies or 
nuclei will need no feeding, until the failure of the natural 
supplies. 

In all these operations, the main object should be to make 
every thing bend to the most rapid production of Irood ; 
give me the bees, and I can easily show how they may be 
fed, so as to make strong and prosperous stocks ; whereas 
if their numbers are small, every thing else will be in vain : 
just as a land where there are many stout hands and coura- 
geous hearts, although comparatively barren, will, in due 
time, be made to " bud and blossom as the rose," while a 
second Eden, if inhabited by a scanty and discouraged 
population, must speedily be overgrown with briars and 
thorns. 

If strong stocks are deprived of a portion of their combs, 
so that they cannot from natural sources, at once begin to 
refill all vacancies, they too must be fed. 

I have probably said enough to show the inexperienced, 
that the rapid multiplication of colonies, is not a very simple 
matter, and that they will do well not to attempt it on a 
large scale. By the time the honey harvest ordinarily closes, 
all colonies, except in the Apiaries of the skillful, ought to 
be strong, both in numbers and in stores; at least the ct^- 
gregaie resources of the colonies should be such, that when 



352 FEEDING. 

an equal division is made among them, there will be enough 
for all. This may ordinarily be effected, and yet the num- 
ber of the colonies be trebled in one season; and in situa- 
tions where buckwheat is extensively cultivated, a large 
quantity of surplus honey, may even then be frequently 
obtained from the bees. Early in the month of October, or 
better still, by the middle of September, if the season of 
forage is over, and the colonies are sufficiently strong in 
numbers, I advise that if feeding is necessary to winter the 
bees, it should be thoroughly attended to. If delayed later 
than this, in the latitude of our Northern States, the bees 
may not have sufficient time to seal over the honey fed to 
them, and will be liable to suffer from dysentery, during the 
ensuing Winter. Unsealed honey, almost always, in cool 
weather, attracts some moisture, and sours in the combs, and if 
the bees are compelled to feed upon it, they are very liable 
to become diseased. 

An interesting fact on this subject, has come under my 
notice. A colony of bees being fed for some time with 
suitable food, appeared to be in perfect health, flying in and 
out with great animation Their owner, on one occasion, 
before leaving for the day, gave them some molasses which 
was so sour, that it could not be used in the family. On re- 
turning, at evening, he was informed that the bees had been 
dropping their filth over every thing in the vicinity of the 
hive. On examining them, next day, they were all found 
dead on the bottom-board, and among the combs ! The 
acid food had acted upon them as a violent cathartic, and 
brought on a complaint of which they all died in less than 
twenty-four hours ; the hive was found to contain an ample 
allowance of honey and bee-bread. 

If the Apiarian finds that some of his colonies have more 
than they need, and others not enough, his most prudent 



FEEDING. 353 

course will be to make an equitable division of the honey. 
This may seem to be a very Agrarian sort of procedure, 
and yet it answers perfectly well in the management of 
bees. Those that were helped, will not spend the next 
season in idleness, relying upon the same sort of aid ; nor 
will those that were relieved of their surplus stores, remem- 
ber the deprivation, and limit the extent of their gatherings 
to a bare competency. With men, most unquestionably, 
unless they were perfect, such an annual division would de- 
range the whole course of affairs, and speedily impoverish 
any community in which it might be attem.pted. 

I always prefer to remove some honey from stocks which 
have too generous a supply, replacing it with empty worker- 
comb ; as I find that when bees have too much honey in the 
Fall, they do not ordinarily breed as fast in the ensuing 
Spring, as they otherwise would. A portion of this honey 
should be carefully put away in the frames, and kept in 
a close box, safe against all intruders, and where it will 
not be exposed to frost ; so that if some colonies in the Spring, 
are found to be in want of food, they may be easily supplied. 
The inexperienced should remove any surplus, in the Spring. 

In the Spring examination, if any colonies have too much 
honey, a portion of it ought by all means to be taken away. 
Such a deprivation, if judiciously performed, will always 
stimulate them to increased activity. Every strong stock, 
as soon as it can gather enough honey to construct comb, 
ought to have one or two combs which contain no brood re- 
moved, and their places supplied with empty frames, in 
order that they may be induced to exert themselves to the 
utmost. An empty frame inserted between full ones, will 
speedily be replenished with comb, and often the combs 
removed will be so much clear gain. If at any time there 
is a sudden supply of honey, and the bees seem reluctant 
30* 



354 FEEDING. 

to enter the boxes, or it is not probable that the supply 
will continue long enough to enable them to fill them, 
the removal of some of the combs from the main hive, 
so as to have empty ones filled, will often prove highly 
advantageous. 

If, in the Fall, the bee-keeper finds that some of his colo- 
nies need feeding, and are not populous enough to make 
good stocks in the ensuing Spring, then instead of wasting 
time and money on them, he should at onee, break them up, 
for they will seldom pay for the labor bestowed on them, 
and the bees will be much more serviceable, if added to 
other stocks. The Apiarian cannot be too deeply impressed 
with the important truth, that his profits in bee-keeping will 
almost alvi^ays come from his strong stocks, and that if he 
cannot so manage as to have such colonies early, it will be 
better to let bee-keeping alone. 

West India honey has for many years, been used to very 
good advantage, as a bee-feed. It should never be given in 
its raw state, as it is often filled with impurities, and is very 
liable to sour or candy in the cells, but should be mixed with 
about two parts of good brown sugar, to three of honey, 
and one of water, and brought to the boiling point ; as soon 
as it begins to boil, it should be set to cool, and as all the 
impurities rise to the top, they may be skimmed ofi'. If 
it is too thick, a little more water may be added to it ; it 
ought, however, never to be made thinner than the natural 
consistence of good honey. Such a mixture will cost, for 
a small quantity, about seven cents a pound, and will pro- 
bably be found, v;ith the exception of dissolved sugar-candy, 
the cheapest liquid food which can be given to bees. 

In my hives, the bee-keeper may feed his bees, without 
any feeder at all, or rather he may use the hottom-hoard of 
the hive as a feeder. On this plan, the bees should be shut 



FEEDING. 855 

in, or fed at evening ; to prevent the risk of iheir robbing 
each other. The hive which is to be fed, should have the 
front edge of its bottom-board elevated on a block, so as to 
slant hackwards, and the honey should be poured through 
one of the holes of the spare honey-board. As the frames 
are kept about half an inch above the bottom-board, which 
is water tight, the honey runs under them, and is as safe as 
in a dish, while the bees stand on the bottom of the frames, 
and help themselves. The quantity poured in, should of 
course, depend upon the size and necessities of the colony ; 
no more ought to be given at one time, than the bees can 
store up during the night ; a good colony will easily take up 
a quart. It is desirable to get through the feeding as rapidly 
as possible, as the bees are excited through the whole pro- 
cess, and consume more than they otherwise would, to say 
nothing of the demand made upon the time of the Apiarian, 
by feeding in small quantities. If the bees cannot, in fa- 
vorable weather, dispose of at least a pint at one time, the 
colony must be too small to make it worth while to feed 
them, if they are in hives by which they can be readily 
united to stronger stocks. 

If the bees have not a good allowance of comb, it will 
not, as a general rule, pay to feed them. This will be ob- 
vious to any one who reflects that nearly 20 pounds of 
honey are often required to elaborate one pound of wax. I 
know that this estimate may to some, appear enormous ; but 
it is given as the result of very accurate experiments, insti- 
tuted on a large scale, to determine this very point. The 
Country Curate says, " Having driven the population of four 
stocks, on the 5th of August, and united them together, I fed 
them with about 50 pounds of a mixture of sugar, honey, salt 
and beer, for about five weeks. At that time, the box was 
only 16 pounds heavierihan when the bees were put into it." 



356 FEEDING. 

He estimates that at least 25 pounds of the mixture were 
consumed in making about half a pound of wax ! No one 
who has once tried it, will undertake to feed bees for profit, 
when they are destitute both of comb and honey. 

If the weather is cool when bees are fed, it will generally 
be necessary to resort to top feeding. For this, my hive is 
admirably adapted : a feeder may be put over one of the 
holes in the honey-board directly over the mass of the bees, 
into which the heat of the hive naturally arises, and where 
the bees can get at their food without any risk of being 
chilled. This is always the best place for a feeder, as the 
smell of the food is not so likely to attract the notice of 
robbing bees. 

I shall here show how to make a very cheap and conve- 
nient feeder. Take any wooden box, which will hold at least 
two quarts. About two inches from one end, put a thin par- 
tition, not so deep by half an inch, as the box itself; cut a 
hole in the bottom of the small apartment thus partitioned off, 
so that when set over any hole leading to the spare honey 
boxes, it will admit the bees, and allow them to pass over the 
partition, into the other apartment which holds the food. 
Make all the joints honey-tight, by running into the corners, 
a mixture of melted wax and rosin, (p. 88) ; if the sides 
are brushed with the same hot mixture, the wood will absorb 
no honey, and the box be kept perfectly sweet. The lid 
which confines the bees to this feeder, should have a piece 
of glass set into it, which will show when it is empty, and 
a hole for pouring in the liquid food ; which hole, when not in 
use, is closed in the same manner with the holes on the spare 
honey-board of my hive. To prevent the bees from drown- 
ing in the honey, fill the box to the depth of an inch with 
clean straw, cut short enough to sink readily as the bees 
consume the honey. No float can ever be made to answer 



FEEDING. 357 

a better purpose than clean straw. With such a feeder, bees 
may be safely fed with dissolved sugar-candy, even in the 
depth of Winter ; since it may be covered with thick cotton 
or v/ool, so as to retain the animal heat of the bees, which 
will freely ascend into it from the hive. The lid may have 
wire hinges, or slide in a groove, or simply lay on the box. 
For a water-feeder, in early Spring, this contrivance will be 
found to be very complete. It will probably be patented in due 
season. A drawing of this feeder, will be given on the 
plate representing the various Implements used in the 
Apiary. 

Water is absolutely indispensable to bees when building 
comb, or raising brood. In the early Spring, they take ad- 
vantage of the first warm weather, to bring it to their hives, 
and may be seen busily drinking around pumps, drains, and 
other moist places. As they are not noticed to frequent such 
spots, except in the early part of the season, many suppose 
that they need water only at this period. This is a great 
mistake, for they need and must have it, during the whole 
breeding season. But as soon as the grass starts, and the 
trees are covered with leaves, they prefer to sip the dew 
from them. If a few days of continued cold come on, after 
the bees have commenced breeding, preventing them from 
going abroad for water, a serious check will often be given 
to their operations. Even when the cold does not confine 
them to the hive, many become so chilled in their search 
for water, that they are unable to return. 

The Apiarian should see that his bees have an abundant 
supply of water. If he has not some warm and sunny spot 
where he can safely obtain it, he will furnish them with 
shallow wooden troughs or vessels filled with floats or straw, 
from which, sheltered from cold winds, and warmed by the 
genial rays of the sun, they can drink without risk of drown- 



358 FEEDING. 

ing. I believe that one reason why bees frequent barn-yards 
and drains, is not so much because they find any medicinal 
quality in the impure water, but that being warm, and near 
their hives, they can drink without being fatally chilled. 

If the feeder previously described, is supplied with water, 
the bees are able to enter it when they cannot leave their 
hive, and thus breeding goes on, without interruption, and 
the lives of many are saved. The same end may be obtained, 
by pouring daily, a few table spoonsfuU of water into the 
hive, through one of the holes leading to the spare honey- 
boxes. 

When supplied with water in their hives, it is better to 
sweeten it a little. The bees prefer it, and it will stimulate 
them more powerfully to the raising of brood. 

I come now to mention a substitute for liquid honey, the 
value of which has been extensively and thoroughly tested 
in Germany, and which I have used with great advantage. 
It was first introduced by the Rev. Mr. Weigel, of Silesia, 
and Dzierzon and other distinguished Apiarians, speak of its 
excellence, in the most decided terms. The article to which 
I refer, is plain sugar-candy. It has been ascertained that 
about four pounds of this candy, will sustain a colony during 
the Winter, when they have scarcely any honey in their 
hive ! If it is placed where they can have access to it 
without being chilled, they will cluster upon it, and gradually 
eat it up. It not only goes further than double the quantity 
of liquid honey which could be bought for the same money, 
but is found to agree with the bees perfectly ; while the 
former is almost sure to sour in the unsealed cells, exposing 
them to dangerous, and often fatal attacks of dysentery. I 
sometimes invert the old fashioned box hive, and push sticks 
of candy gently between the ranges of comb, in which the 
bees cluster. The bottom-board may then be replaced, and 



FEEDING. 359 

if the hive is still upside down, and properly sheltered, the 
bees will have ready access to the candy, even in the coldest 
weather. 

In my hives, the spare honey-board may be elevated on 
strips, about an inch and a half above the frames, and sticks 
of candy laid on the tops of the central frames, will then 
be always accessible to the bees, even in the coldest weather, 
if the outside of the honey -board is covered with cotton, or 
any warm packing. By sliding into the hive, under the 
frames, a few sticks of candy, I can in a moment feed a 
small colony, in Summer, without incurring the risk of 
tempting robbers, by the smell of liquid honey. If a small 
quantity of liquid food is needed in warm weather, loaf- 
sugar dissolved in water, as it has scarcely any smell, is the 
best. 

" The use of sugar-candy for feeding bees," says the 
Rev. Mr. Kleine, " gives to bee-keeping a security which it 
did not possess before. Still, we must not base over-san- 
guine calculations on it, or attempt to winter very weak 
stocks, which a prudent Apiarian would at once unite with a 
stronger colony. I have used sugar-candy for feeding, for the 
last five years, and made many experiments with it, which 
satisfy me that it cannot be too strongly recommended, es- 
pecially after unfavorable summers. Colonies well fur- 
nished with comb, and having plenty of pollen, though de- 
ficient in honey, may be very profitably fed with candy, and 
will richly repay the service thus rendered them." 

" Sugar-candy dissolved in a small quantity of water, may 
be safely fed to bees late in the Fall, and even in Winter, if 
absolutely necessary. It is prepared by dissolving two 
pounds of candy in a quart of water, and evaporating, by 
boiling, about two gills of the solution ; then skimming and 
straining through a hair sieve. Three quarts of this solution, 



360 FEEDING. 

fed in Autumn, will carry a colony safely through the Win- 
ter, in an ordinary location and season. The bees will carry 
it up into the cells of such combs as they prefer, where it 
speedily thickens and becomes covered with a thin film, 
which keeps it from souring." (Bienenzeitung, 1854, page 
145.) 

Brown Havanna sugar makes the hest candy for a bee- 
feed. Add water to the sugar, and clarify the syrup with an 
egg ; then put about a tea-spoon full of cream of tartar, to 
twenty pounds of sugar, and boil until the water is evapora- 
ted. To know when it is done, dip your finger first into 
cold water, and then into the syrup ; if what adheres is 
brittle when chewed, it is boiled enough. Pour it into pans 
slightly greased, so that it will be about one quarter of an 
inch thick. It may now be broken up in pieces, to suit the 
wants of the bee-keeper. After the syrup is boiled, lemon 
balm, peppermint, or any other odor agreeable to bees, may 
be given to it. 

I have already shown how, by transferring some of the 
fullest honey-combs late in the Fall, to the centre of the 
hive, bees can be prevented from starving in empty combs, 
in the Winter. If none of the combs are sufficiently stored 
with honey, the colony may be confined to about six combs, 
and the others, after the cappings are sliced off, placed tem- 
porarily on the spare honey-board, so that the bees can re- 
move their contents. If they are still deficient in supplies, 
they may be fed so as to have what is given them, placed in 
the center for winter use. Not only can there be no change 
in the relative position of the combs, in the common hive, 
but if such a hive is well stocked with bees, and only par- 
tially filled with comb, they will waste much of their food 
in adding to it. 

The following is, I believe, an original and highly valuable 



FEEDING. 361 

method of feeding weak stocks. Feed some of the strong- 
est, which are best able to seal over iHe honey, and defend 
their stores, and then transfer the full frames to the weak 
stocks ! 

The question, how much honey will carry a colony safely 
through the perils of Winter, is one to which it is impossible 
to give an answer which will be definite under all circum- 
stances. Much will depend on the warmth of their hive, 
and the forwardness of the ensuing Spring. It is frequently 
impossible, in the common hives, to form any reliable esti- 
mate of their resources, since the combs are often so 
heavy with bee-bread, as entirely to deceive even the most 
experienced bee-keepers. 

I should always wish to leave at least twenty-five pounds of 
honey in a hive ; and as each comb can be examined, it can 
always be known how much a colony has. If there is any 
reason to fear that their supplies may fail, a few pounds of 
sugar candy may be put v/here they can easily get access to 
it, in case of need. In my hive, the careful bee-keeper 
may not only know exactly the resources of each colony, in 
the Fall, but may, very early in the Spring, ascertain pre- 
cisely how much honey is still on hand, and whether his 
bees need feeding, in order to preserve their lives. 

Posel says that if a colony has suffered from hunger for 
twenty-four hours, the fertility of its queen will be greatly 
impaired, and never recovered. A fertile mother is certainly 
a great feeder, and if one is kept away from the bees, a very 
short time, she will solicit food, as soon as returned ! This 
should be remembered, in all operations involving the tem- 
porary removal of queens, and care should be taken to give 
them honey, or better still, to put with them a few well fed 
workers. *' From nothing, nothing comes ;" and a mother 
31 



362 FEEDING. 

that is capable of laying thousands of eggs daily, must re- 
quire much food for their development. 

Feeding, to make a profit by selling the Honey given 
TO the Bees. 

For many years. Apiarians have attempted to derive pro- 
fit from the feeding of bees on a large scale ; but all such 
attempts must, from the very nature of the case, meet with 
no success. If large quantities of cheap West India honey 
are fed to the bees in the Fall, they are induced to fill their 
hives to such an extent, that in the Spring, the queen does 
not find the necessary accommodations for breeding; while 
if over-fed in the Spring, their condition is siill worse. 
It must therefore be obvious that the feeding of cheap honey, 
can only be made profitable, where it replaces an equal 
quantity of choice honey taken from the bees. In the latter 
part of Summer, the Apiarian may take away from the 
main hive, some of the combs which contain the best honey, 
and replace them with others into which he has poured the 
cheaper article. If he takes away their full combs, giving 
them honey to enable them, first to replace, and then to fill 
them, the operation, for reasons already mentioned, will re- 
sult in a loss, instead of a gain. 

I am aware that persons have attempted to derive a profit 
from supplying the markets of some of our large cities, 
with an article claiming to be the best of honey, but in re- 
ality only cheap West India honey fed to the bees, and stored 
by them in new comb. This article has become so well 
known thai it can now be scarcely sold at all ; as purchasers, 
instead of paying 25 cents per pound for West India honey 
in the comb, much prefer to buy it, (if they want it at all,) 



FEEDING. 363 

for six or seven cents, in a liquid state ! It must be perfectly 
obvious that to sell an ill-flavored article at a high price, un- 
der the pretence that it is a superior article, is nothing less 
than downright cheating. 

I am well aware that many persons imagine that if any 
sweet is fed to bees, they will quickly change it into the 
purest nectar ; but there is no more truth in such a conceit, 
than there would be in that of a man who supposed that he 
had found the veritable philosopher's stone, by which he 
could transmute our copper and silver coins into the purest 
gold ! Bees to be sure, can make white and beautiful comb^ 
from almost any kind of sweet ; because wax is a natural se- 
cretion, (see p. 77,) and can be made from any saccharine 
substance ; just as fai can be put upon the ribs of an ox, by 
any kind of nourishing food, 

"But," some of my readers may ask, " do you mean to 
assert that bees do not secrete honey out of the raw mate- 
rial which they gather, or which is furnished to them, just 
as cows secrete milk from grass and hay ?" I certainly do 
mean to assert that they can do nothing of the kind, and no 
intelligent man who has carefully studied their habits^ will 
for a moment venture to affirm that they can, unless for the 
sake of " filthy lucre," he is attempting to deceive an un- 
wary community. What bee-keeper does not know, or 
rather ought not to know that the quality of honey depends 
entirely upon the sources from whence it is gathered ; and that 
apple-blossom honey, white clover honey, buckwheat honey, 
and every other kind, each has its own peculiar flavor, which 
can readily be recognized by any good judge of the 
article. 

When bees are engaged in rapidly storing honey in their 
combs, they may be seen, as soon as they return from the 
fields, or from the feeding boxes, putting their heads at once 



364 FEEDING. 

into the cells, and disgorging the contents of their " honey- 
bags." That the contents of their sacs, undergo no change 
at all, during this short time, I will not absolutely affirm, 
because, through this whole treatise, I have endeavored to 
refrain from confident assertions, in the absence of positive 
evidence ; but that they can undergo only a very slight 
change, must be evident from the fact that when thus stored 
up, the different kinds of honey or sugar, can be almost, if not 
quite, as readily distinguished as before they were fed to the 
bees. The only change which they appear to undergo in the 
ceils, is to have evaporated from them, the excess of water 
which was added from ignorance, or the vain expectation that 
it would be just so much water sold for honey, to the de- 
frauded purchaser ! This evaporation of the water, by the 
heat of the hive, is about the only marked change that honey 
appears to undergo, from its natural state in the nectaries of 
the blossoms ; and it is exceedingly interesting to see how 
unwilling bees are to seal it up, until brought to such a con- 
sistency that there is no danger of its souring in the cells. 
They are as careful in this matter, as the good lady of the 
bouse is, to have the syrup of her preserves boiled down to 
a suitable thickness, to keep them sweet. 

Let all who for any purpose whatever, feed bees, keep 
this fact in mind, and never add more water than is abso- 
lutely necessary. Such conduct is as stupid as to pour a 
barrel of water into the sugar pans, for every barrel of sap 
from the maples, or juice from the canes! If a strong 
colony is set on a platform scale, it will be found on a pleas- 
ant day, during the height of the honey harvest, to gain a 
number of pounds; if examined again, early next morning, 
it will be seen to have lost considerably, during the night. 
This is owning to the evaporation from the freshly gathered 
honey, of the water which often runs do\vn in a stream from 
the bottom-board. 



FEEDING. 365 

Those who feed cheap honey to sell in the market, at a 
high advance over its first cost, are either deceivers or de- 
ceived ; and if any of my readers have been defrauded by the 
plausible representations of ignorant or unprincipled men, 1 
trust they will be able from these remarks, to see exactly how 
they have been deluded, and that they will no longer persist 
in an adulteration, the profits of which are small, and the 
morality of which can never be defended. A man v>7ho 
sells inferior honey, or sugar which he calls honey, to those 
who would never purchase if they once had a taste of it, is 
not a whit more honest, if he understands the nature of the 
article, than a person who counterfeits the current coin of 
the realm : for poor honey in w^hite comb, is no less a fraud 
than eagles or dollars, golden to be sure, on their honest ex- 
terior, but containing a baser metal within ! " The Golden 
Age " of bee-keeping, in which inferior honey can be quickly 
transmuted into such balmy spoils as are gathered by the 
bees of Hybla, has not yet dawned upon us ; or at least only 
in the fairy visions of the poet, who saw 

*■' A golden hive, on a Golden Bank, 
Where golden bees, by alchemical prank, 
Gathered Gold insleadbof Honey," — Hood. 

If a pound of West India honey costs about six cents, and 
the bees use, as they will, about one pound to make the 
comb in which it is stored, it costs the producer at least 
twelve cents a pound, and if to this, he adds enough to pay 
him for extra time and labor in feeding, then his inferior 
honey costs him almost as much as the market price of the 
very best honey, on the spot where it is produced ! If the 
bee-keeper begins to feed, after he has harvested the produce 
from the natural supplies, the advance over the first cost will 
hardly pay for the trouble, even if it were honest to palm off 
as a first-rate article, such inferior honey ; but if fed very 
31* 



3^6 FEEDING. 

largely in the latter part of Summer, his colonies will fill up 
their hives before working in the spare honey boxes, and 
thus the production of brood will often be checked, at a sea- 
son when it is important to have the hives well stocked with 
young bees. 

If Apiarians desire large quantities of choice honey, let 
them manage their bees so as to have powerful stocks in the 
early Spring, and they will then be able to have both heavy 
purses and light consciences. I shall now show how liquid 
honey, exceedingly beautiful to the eye, and tempting to the 
taste, may be made to great advantage : 

Dissolve two pounds of the purest white sugar, in as much 
hot water as will be just necessary to reduce it to a syrup ; 
take one pound of the nicest white clover honey, (any other 
light colored honey of good flavor will answer.) and after 
warming it, add it to the syrup, and stir the contents. When 
cool, this compound will be pronounced, even by the best 
judges of honey, to be one of the most luscious articles 
which they ever tasted ; and will be, by almost every one, 
preferred to the unmixed honey. Relined loaf-sugar is a 
perfectly pure and inodorous sweet, and one pound of honey 
will communicate the honey flavor, in high perfection, to 
twice that quantity of sugar ; while the new article will be 
destitute of that smarting taste which pure honey so often 
has, and will often agree with those who cannot eat the clear 
honey with impunity. If desired, this compound may be 
made to resemble the classic honey of Mount Hymettus, by 
adding to it the fine aroma of the lemon balm, or wild 
thyme ; or it may have the flavor of the orange groves, or 
the delicate fragrance of beds of roses washed with dew. 

Bees may be made to store in hoxes^ a mixture of the 
whitest honey and loaf sugar ; but the result shows a loss 
rather than a gain. The mixture, will cost about twelve 



FEEDING. 367 

cents per pound ; and at the furthest, not more than half of 
what is fed, can be secured in the comb, since it requires 
about a pound, to manufacture comb enough to hold a pound 
of honey. The actual cost of the honey in the comb, will 
therefore be as great as that of the nicest honey. Those 
who desire to have something very beautiful to the eye, and 
delicate to the taste, at a season when their bees are not 
storing up honey from the blossoms, and in situations where 
the natural supply is of an inferior quality, if they do not re- 
regard expense, can, by feeding this mixture, place upon their 
tables, an article vvhich will often be pronounced by the best 
judges, superior to any thing they ever tasted before. 

1 have repeatedly spoken of the great care necessary to 
guard against bees being tempted to engage in dishonest 
courses, by getting a taste of forbidden sweets. The expe- 
rienced Apia.rian will fully appreciate the necessity of these 
cautions, and the inexperienced, if they neglect them, will 
be taught a lesson that they will not soon forget. Let it be 
remembered that the bee was intended to gather its sweets 
from the nectaries of flowers : in the exquisitely beautiful 
language of him whose inimitable writings supply us on al- 
most every subject, with the richest thoughts and happiest 
illustrations, they w^ere created to 

" I\Iake boot upon the Summer's velvet buds, 
Which pillage the)^ with merry march bring home 
To the tent royal of their ' empress :' 
Who, busied in 'her' majesty, surveys 
The singing masons, building roofs of gold." — Shakspearc, 

When thus engaged, bees working in harmony with 
their natural instincts, have little disposition to meddle with 
property that does not belong to them ; but if their incau- 
tious owner tempts them with liquid food, especially at times 
when they can obtain nothing from the blossoms, they be- 



368 FEEDING. 

come so infatuated with such easy gatherings, as to lose all 
discretion, and will perish by thousands, if the vessels which 
contain the food are not furnished with floats, on which they 
can safely stand to help themselves. 

As the fly was not intended to banquet upon the blossoms, 
but on substances in which it might easily be drowned, it 
alights most cautiously, on the edge of any vessel containing 
liquid food, and warily helps itself: while the poor bee plung- 
es in headlong, and speedily perishes. The sad fate of their 
unfortunate companions, does not in the least, deter others 
who approach the tempting lure, from madly alighting on the 
bodies of the dying and the dead, to share the same misera- 
ble end ! No one can understand the full extent of their 
infatuation, until he has seen a confectioner's shop assailed 
by thousands and tens of thousands of hungry bees. I 
have seen thousands strained out from the syrups in which 
they had perished ; thousands more alighting even upon 
the boilinp- sweets; the floors covered, and windows dark- 
ened with bees, some crawling, others flying, and others 
still, so completely besmeared as to be able neither to 
crawl nor fly ; not one bee in ten, able to carry home its ill- 
gotten spoils, and yet the air filled with new hosts of thought- 
less comers ! 

Those engaged in the manufacture of candy and syrups, 
will find it to their interest, by fitting gauze wire windows 
and doors to their premises, to save themselves from constant 
loss and annoyance : for if only one bee in a hundred es- 
capes with his load, the confectioner will be subjected, in the 
course of the season, to serious loss. I once furnished a candy- 
shop, with such protection, after the bees had commenced 
their depredations; who on finding themselves excluded, 
alighted on the wire by thousands, squealing with vexation 
and disappointment, as they vainly tried to force a passage 



FEEDING. 369 

through the meshes. At last they were daring enough to 
descend the chimney, reeking with sweet odors, even al- 
though most who attempted it, fell with scorched wings 
into the fire, and it became necessary to put wire gauze over 
the top of the chimney also ! 

How often, as I have seen thousands of bees, in such 
places, destroyed, thousands more deprived of all ability to 
fly, and hopelessly struggling in the deluding sweets, and 
yet increasing thousands blindly hovering over them, all 
unmindful of their danger, and apparently eager to share 
the same destruction, how often has the spectacle of their 
infatuation, appeared to be an exact picture of the woful 
delusion of those who surrender themselves to the fatal in- 
fluences of the intoxicating cup. Even although they see 
the miserable victims of this degrading vice, falling all 
around them, into premature and dishonored graves, they 
still press on, madly trampling as it were, over their dead 
and dying bodies, that they too may sink into the same 
abyss of agonies, and that their sun also may go down in 
darkness and hopeless gloom. Even although they know 
that the next cup may send them, with all their sins upon 
their heads, to the dread tribunal of their God, that cup of 
bitter sorrows and untold degradation, they will drain, even to 
its most loathsome dregs. 

The avaricious bee that despised the slow process of ex- 
tracting nectar from "every opening flower," and plunged 
so recklessly into the templing sweets, has ample time to 
bewail its folly. Even if it has obtained its fill, instead of 
paying the forfeit of its life, it returns home with all its 
beautiful plumage sullied and besmeared, and with a woe- 
begone look, and sorrowful note, in marked contrast with the 
bright hues and merry sounds, with which the industrious 



370 FEEDING. 

bee returns, from its happy rovings amid " tlie budding honey 
flowers, and sweetly breathing fields." 

Just so, has many a pilgrim from the golden shores of 
California and Australia, returned ; enfeebled in body and 
mind, bankrupt often in character and happiness, if not in 
purse, and unfitted in every way, for the calm and sober 
pursuits of common industry ; while thousands, yes, and 
tens of thousands too, shall never more behold their once 
happy homes. Bibles and Sabbaths, altars and firesides, 
parents and friends, wife and children, how often have all 
these been wantonly abandoned, in the accursed greed for 
gain, by those who v/ere prosperous, and might have been 
happy, at home, but who wandered from its sacred precincts, 
only because they were determined to make the possession 
of wealth, the chief object of life, and whose bones now 
lie amid the coral reefs of the ocean, or moulder in the 
howling wastes of the "overland passage ;" just as the 
bones of the unbelieving Israelites whitened the sands of 
the desert. Of those who have reached the " land of " 
golden " promise," how many have died in despair, or worse 
still, are living so besotted by vice, so lost to all power of 
virtuous resolutions, that they shall never more see the happy 
homes from which they so thoughtlessly wandered, never 
more hear the soft accents of loving friends ; never again wor- 
ship God, in a peaceful Sanctuary, or behold again an opened 
Bible ! 

"Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold! 
Bright and yellow, hard and cold, 
Molten, graven, hammerd, and roll'd j 
Heav}^ to get, and light to liold ; 
Hoarded, barter'd, bought, and sold, 
Stolen, borrow'd, squander'd, doled : 
Spnrn'd by the young, but hugg'd by the old 
To the very verge of the churchyard mould ; 



HONEY. 371 

Price of many a crime untold ; 
Gold ! Gold ! Gold ! Gold ! 
Good or bad a thousand-fold ! 

How widely its agencies vary — 
To save — to ruin — to curse — to bless — 
As even its minted coins express. 
Now stamp'd with the image of Good Queen Bess, 

And now of a Bloody Mary !" — Hood. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Honey — Pasturage— Overstocking. 

That honey is not a natural secretion of the hee, but a 
substance obtained from the nectaries of blossoms, appears 
to have been well known to the ancient Jews. As the bee 
was classed among the unclean creatures, the eating of 
which was forbidden, one of their Rabbis asks : " Since we 
are not permitted to eat bees, why are we allowed to eat 
honey ?" and replies : " Because the bees do not make 
(or secrete) honey, but only gather it from plants and flow- 
ers." The truth is well expressed in the lines so familiar to 
most of us from our childhood, 

" How doth the little busy bee 
Improve each shining hour, 
And gather honey all the day 
From every opening flower." 

Bees gather honey not only from the blossoms, but often in 
large quantities, from what have been called honey-dews ; 
" a term applied to those sweet, clammy drops that glitter on 
the foliage of many trees in hot weather." Two different 
opinions have been zealously advocated as to the origin of 
honey-dews. By some they are considered the natural ex- 



372 HONEY. 

udation from the leaves of trees, occasioned often by ill 
health, though sometinfies a kind of perspiration, by which 
the plants resist the fervent heats to M^hich they are exposed. 
Others insist that this sweet substance is discharged from the 
bodies of those aphides or small lice, which infest the leaves 
of so many plants. Unquestionably they are produced in 
both ways. 

Messrs. Kirby and Spence, in their interesting work on 
Entomology, have given a description of the honey-dew fur- 
nished by the aphides. 

" The loves of the ants and the apbides have long been 
celebrated ; you will always find the former very busy on 
those trees and plants on which the latter abound ; and if 
you examine more closely, you will discover that the object 
of the ants, in thus attending upon the aphides, is to obtain 
the saccharine fluid secreted by them, which may well be 
denominated their milk. This fluid, which is scarcely 
inferior to honey in sweetness, issues in limpid drops from 
the abdomen of these insects, not only by the ordinary 
passage, but also by two setiform tubes, placed one on each 
side, just above it. Their sucker being inserted in the 
tender bark, is without intermission employed in absorbing 
the sap, which, after it has passed through these organs, 
they keep continually discharging by these organs. When 
no ants attend them, by a certain jerk of the body, which 
takes place at regular intervals, they ejaculate it to a dis- 
tance." 

"Mr. Knight once observed," says Bevan, "a shower of 
honey-dew descending in innumerable small globules, near 
one of his oak-trees, on the 1st of September ; he cut off 
one of the branches, took it into the house, and holding it in 
a stream of light, which was purposely admitted through a 
small opening, distinctly saw the aphides ejecting the fluid 



HONEY. 373 

from their bodies with considerable force, and this accounts 
for its being frequently found in situations where it could not 
have arrived by the mere influence of gravitation. The 
drops that are thus spurted out, unless interrupted by the sur- 
rounding foliage, or some other interposing body, fall upon 
the ground ; and the spots may often be observed, for some 
time, beneath and around the trees affected with honey-dew, 
till washed away by the rain. The power which these in- 
sects possess of ejecting the fluid from their bodies, seems to 
have been wisely instituted to preserve cleanliness in each 
individual fly, and indeed for the preservation of the whole 
family ; for pressing us they do upon one another, they 
would otherwise soon be glued together, and rendered in- 
capable of stirring. On looking steadfastly at a group of 
these insects {Aphides Salicis) while feeding on the bark of 
the willow, their superior size enables us to perceive some of 
them elevating their bodies and emitting a transparent sub- 
stance in the form of a small shower." 

"• Nor scorn ye now, fond elves, the foliage sear, 
When the Hght aphids, arm'd with puny spear, 
Probe each emulgeni vein, till bright below, 
Like falling stars, clear drops of nectar glow," 

Evans. 

" Honey-dew usually appears upon the leaves as a viscid, 
transparent substance, as sweet as honey itself, sometimes 
in the form of globules, at others resembling a syrup ; it is 
generally most abundant from the middle of June to the 
middle of July, sometimes as late as September." 

" It is found chiefly upon the oak, the elm, the maple, the 
plane, the sycamore, the lime, the hazel, and the hlackherry ; 
occasionally also on the cherry, currant, and other fruit 
trees. Sometimes only one species of trees is affected at a 
time. The oak generally affords the largest quantity. At 
32 



374 HONEY. 

the season of its greatest abundance, the happy, humming 
noise of the bees may be heard at a considerable distance 
from the trees, sometimes nearly equaling in loudness the 
united hum of swarming." — (Bevan.) 

In some seasons, honey-dews yield such extraordinary 
supplies, that bees will often fill their hives in a few days. 
If furnished with empty combs, they v/ill store a prodigious 
amount ; but no certain reliance can be placed upon this 
article of bee-food, as in some years, there is very little, 
while it is abundant only once in three or four years. 
The honey obtained from this source, is generally good, 
though seldom as clear as that gathered from the choicest 
blossoms. 

The quality of honey varies exceedingly, some is dark, 
and often bitter and disagreeable, while occasionally being 
gathered from poisonous flowers, it is very noxious to the 
human system. 

An intelligent Mandingo African, informed a lady of my 
acquaintance, that in his country, they dare not eat unsealed 
honey, until it is first boiled. In some of the Southern 
States, unsealed honey is generally rejected. It appears to 
me highly probable that most of the noxious properties of 
the honey gathered from poisonous flowers, are evaporated 
while thickening in the cells, before it is sealed over by the 
bees. Boiling the honey, would seem to expel them much 
more eflectually, as some persotis who are not able to 
eat even the best honey with impunity, find it harmless after 
it has been boiled ! Honey improves by age, and many are 
able to use with impunity, that which has been long in the 
hive, and which is much milder than any freshly gathered by 
the bees. 

Honey, when taken from ihe bees, should be put where it 
will be safe from all intruders, and not exposed to so low 



HONEY. 375 

a temperature as to candy in the cells. The little red ant, 
and the large black ant are extravagantly fond of it, and they 
will soon carry off large quantities, unless it is placed beyond 
their reach. Paper should be pasted over all boxes, glasses, 
and other honey receptacles, to make them air tight, and 
they should then be carefully stored away for future use. 

To drain pure honey from virgin combs, put them into a 
preserving kettle, and bring it to the boiling point ; set it off 
to cool, and then remove the wax which will float upon the 
top. The honey may now be strained, and poured into 
bottles or jars, and tightly covered, to exclude the air ; and 
should it candy, these may be set into cold water, and 
when brought to the boiling point, the honey will be as 
nice, as when first strained from the comb. If any of the 
combs contain bee-bread, they should be kept separate from 
the others, as the honey from them will be of an inferior 
quality. In Russia, and Germany, but little honey is sold in 
the comb, but in our country, its beautiful appearance in- 
duces many to keep it in this form, especially when intended 
for sale. 

The prudent bee-keeper will preserve all empty comb 
which will be serviceable in the hive, or spare honey-boxes ; 
all such as is useless for these purposes, may be put into 
water, and boiled, when the pure wax will float upon the top, 
and will harden if poured into cold water. It may now be 
melted again in a pan, and run into vessels slightly greased • 
the impurities which will settle to the bottom may be scraped 
off, when the cake grows hard. Old combs which have 
been long used by the bees for breeding, will not readily 
part with their wax, on account of the cocoons with which 
ihey are lined ; these after being first boiled, should be put 
into a coarse woolen bag with a flat iron on top, to make it 
sink, and this bag boiled until the wax has strained through, 



376 HONEY. 

and risen to the top of the kettle. It should then be treated 
according to previous directions. Very old hrood combs 
are not worth the trouble necessary to render out the wax ; 
and are of no value except to be burned. 

The surplus honey may be taken from the bees, in my 
hives, in a great variety of ways. (1st.) The hive may be 
made so long that the. spare honey can be taken from the 
ends, on frames ; and if these ends are separated by dividers 
or permanent partitions, from the main body of the hive^ 
the purest honey will be deposited in them. The partitions 
should be kept about one quarter of an inch from the top 
and bottom, to allow the bees to pass freely into the ends ; 
in winter these side apartments should be filled with straw. 

A hive thus constructed, holding one dozen frames in the 
central apartment, and six in each of the end ones, will be 
found very cheap, and easy of construction. The side 
apartments may be rabbeted so as to receive short frames 
running from the ends to the partitions, or long ones from 
front to rear. The cover to this hive should be made of two 
thicknesses of boards, to protect the bees ; and to prevent 
warping, the under boards should be so nailed, that the 
grain of the wood will run in a different direction from that 
of the upper ones. 

(2d.) The surplus honey may be taken on frames inserted 
into a box of the same capacity with the main hive ; it 
should have a partition in the centre, from front to rear, 
kept three-eighths of an inch from the top and bottom of the 
hive, to allow the bees to pass from one division to the other. 
The rabbets should be made so as to receive large frames, 
like those below, or two sets of short ones running from each 
end of the box to the partition. 

When such a box is full, it may easily be removed and 
the bees driven from it with a little smoke, and the honey 



HONEY. 377 

may be sent in it to market more safely than in any other 
way, if the following directions are closely adhered to: 
Make the box of seven-eighths stuff; fasten with small nails, 
each frame to the rabbets, letting the nails project so that 
they may easily be drawn ; between the bottom slats of the 
frames, slightly glue two small pieces of wood, to prevent 
the frames from swaying in the least, when the box is han- 
dled. Screw on a top to the box not less than three-fourths 
of an inch thick, and a bottom of the same thickness, with 
holes similar in size and number to those on the spare honey- 
board. The back of this box should have glass like the' 
main hive, so that the Apiarian can see when it is full. Be- 
fore putting in the frames, pour into the corners of the box 
a melted mixture, one-third bees-wax, and two-thirds rosin ; 
by a little dexterity, the box may be held so that this mixture 
will run into all the corners, cooling as it runs, and making 
them perfectly honey-tight. Pour the same mixture through 
one of the holes, after screwing on the top and bottom, so 
as to make them tight. The box thus prepared, will hold only 
ten large frames, or sixteen small ones, as store combs 
should be further apart than those intended for brood, and it 
should be set on the hive in the place of the spare honey-board. 
The honey may be sold by the box, or the frames may be 
conveniently retailed, to accommodate small purchasers. 

In a favorable season, I have taken two such boxes, hold- 
ing over one hundred pounds, from a single non-swarming 
hive ; and in very good locations, still larger returns may be 
realized. Two such boxes may be set over the main hive, 
and as the bees can pass into them, without being obliged to 
travel over the combs, the unusual height will not annoy them. 
The plan of all my hives is such as to allow any addition of 
top room, which the season or locality may ever require. 
The experienced bee-keeper well knows, that a colony will 
32* 



378 HONEY. 

make much more honey in a large box, than in several small 
ones whose united capacity is the same. 

In small boxes, bees cannot so well maintain their ani- 
mal heat ; while in finishing them, so few can work, that 
much time is lost. The effective force of a colony is thus 
dften wasted, at the height of the honey-harvest, when time 
is to the last degree precious to the bees. 

I am not aware that the attention of Apiarians, has ever 
been called to the great loss necessarily incurred, by every 
attempt to compel bees to store their surplus honey, in small 
receptacles. By the use of my frames, the usual objections 
to large boxes are not only entirely obviated, but the honey 
may be removed from them even more conveniently, for sale 
or use, than from the small ones which have hitherto been 
regarded as best. The bee-keeper cannot afford to sell 
honey stored in small receptacles, except at a very consider- 
able advance over its value in large boxes. 

Persons accustomed to bees, if they use smoke, will need 
no metallic slides, for removing their surplus honey boxes. 
By blowing smoke into them, before they are taken off, most 
of the bees will retreat to the main hive, and if removed, 
early in the morning, or late in the afternoon, and placed on 
a sheet fastened to the hive, the bees, attracted by the hum 
of their companions, will speedily leave them, but not until 
they have swallowed all that they can hold. When gorged^ 
they are very reluctant to fly, and this is the reason why they 
are so long in leaving, when the box is carried from the 
hive. 

It sometimes happens that there is brood in the boxes thus 
removed, and this is a serious annoyance to the bee-keeper 
on the common plan, whereas, when frames are used^ any 
containing brood may be returned to the hive, without at ali 
interfering with the others. Many bees will utterly refuse to 



HONEY. 379 

forsake the box if their queen is in it, and when this occurs, 
she must be sought for, and returned to the hive. If the 
bees are reluctant to crawl on the sheet, from the boxes to 
the entrance of the hive, a few may be gently directed to 
it, with a spoon, when the others will speedily follow. The 
sooner the bees are driven out, the better ; and the bee- 
keeper must keep a very watchful eye upon his treasures, 
or robber bees will scent them, and speedily convey them to 
their hives. 

3d. Glass vessels of almost any size or form, will make 
beautiful receptacles for the spare honey ; but they ought 
always to have a piece of comb fastened in them, and if the 
weather is cool, should be carefully covered with something 
warm, or they will part with their heat so quickly, as to 
discourage the bees from building in them. 

Honey, when stored in quart tumblers, just large enough 
to receive one comb, has a most beautiful appearance, and 
may be easily taken out whole, and placed in an elegant 
form upon the table. The expense of such vessels is one 
objection to their use ; the rapidity with which they part 
with their heat, another ; but a more serious objection still, 
is the fact that while all small vessels waste the time of the 
bees, the shallow cells, so many of which must be m.ade in 
a round vessel, require as large a consumption of time and 
materials for their covers, as those which hold more than 
twice their quantity of honey. 

4lh. If small boxes are used for surplus honey, the follow- 
ing mode of making them will be found the simplest, cheapest, 
and best. Let the inside dimensions be six inches in height 
and width, and five in length ; and the thickness of the ma- 
terials one-quarter of an inch. The top and bottom should 
project, about one-eighth of an inch beyond the sides, so 
that each end of the box, may receive a piece of glass, rest- 



880 HONEY. 

ing on the sides, and fastened with small tacks, or glazier^s 
points, under the projecting top and bottom. A hole should 
be made in the bottom, of the same size with those on the 
spare honey-board, and three of my guides, five inches long, 
should be fastened to the top, so that the combs will be 
built by the bees, parallel with the glass ends. Such a box 
will hold three store combs, and by removing one glass, a 
comb may be cut out, without disturbing the others, and the 
glass fastened again in its place. The convenience of such 
a box will at once be obvious, to those who have had the 
usual vexatious experience with honey-boxes of the common 
form. Such a box will contain between four and five pounds 
of honey. The honey-board will receive nine boxes, and 
if a hole is made in their tops, as well as bottoms, another 
box may be set on each, and thus eighteen boxes be put upon 
the hive. By removing these as fast as they are filled, am- 
ple accommodation may be given to a non-swarming colony. 
A drawing of this box will be given among the other imple° 
ments used in the Apiary. 

If the bee-master has no spare comb, to put as a pattern 
into his honey-boxes, unless he can use my guides for comb- 
building, he will find that the bees often build quite irregu- 
larly ; and that such crooked work, requires a great increase 
of time for its completion. In boxes of every kind, the 
work will be begun earlier, and carried forward more rapidly, 
if all the crevices are made air tight, by the melted mixture, 
before the boxes are given to the bees. 

Boxes thus prepared, will not only spare the bees the severe 
labor of gathering and applying the propolis, but when their 
entrance is closed with tins of the same form that shut the 
holes in the spare honey-board, and then covered with the 
melted mixture, the honey may be transported to a great 
distance without any danger of leakage, even if the combs 



HONEY. 381 

are broken. All such boxes, however, should be very care- 
fully packed, and the package furnished with handles, 
so that it can be lifted without the slightest jarring. Honey 
in virgin combs, requires to be handled with quite as much 
care as a tender infant. 

In such boxes, honey may be safely removed from my 
hives, even by the most timid. Before removing a box, a 
thin knife should be carefully passed under it, to loosen, 
the attachments to the honey-board, without injuring the 
bees ; then a small piece of tin or sheet-iron may be pushed 
under, to prevent the bees from coming up, when the honey 
is removed. The Apiarian should now rap gently on the 
box, and the bees in it, perceiving that they are separated 
from the main hive, will begin to fill themselves, in order to 
save as much as possible of their precious sweets. In about 
five minutes, having filled themselves, they will run over the 
combs, trying to get out, when the glass box may be taken off, 
and they will fly to the hive, with what they have been able to 
secure. Bees under such circumstances, never attempt to 
sting, and a child of ten years, may remove, with ease and 
safety, all their surplus stores. If a person is too timid to 
approach a hive, when any bees are flying, the honey may 
be removed towards evening, or early in the morning. 

I would here strongly caution the bee-keeper, against 
needlessly opening the hives, which are relied on to produce 
surplus honey in boxes. Not unfrequently when a box only 
partially filled, is removed, and then returned, the bees will 
carry every particle of honey into the main hive ! thus 
showing that they feel insecure in their possessions. Dzier- 
zon asserts that the industry of his stocks, is not at all inter- 
fered with, however often he opens their hives ; but while 
this may be true, if the honey is taken from the main hive, 
I am very confident that it is far from being the case, when 



882 PASTURAGE. 

the spare honey is stored in boxes. Bees may undoubtedly 
become accustomed to interruptions, and I would much 
rather open a hive daily, than to disturb them only once in two 
weeks. 

If the Apiarian wishes to remove honey from the interior 
of the hive, he must remove the combs, as directed on page 
195, and shake the bees off, on a sheet, or directly into the 
hive. 

Pasturage. 

Some blossoms frequented by bees, yield pollen only, and 
others only honey ; but most supply both. Since the dis- 
covery that rye flour is so admirable a substitute, early blos- 
soms producing pollen alone, are not so important in the 
vicinity of an Apiary. Willows are among the most desira- 
ble trees to have within reach of the hives : some species 
put out their catkins very early, yielding an abundance of 
both bee-bread and honey. All the willows furnish a rich 
supply of food for the bees ; and as there is considerable 
difference in the time of their blossoming, it is desirable to 
have such varieties as will furnish food, as long as possible. 

The Sugar Maple yields a large supply of very delicious 
honey, and its graceful blossoms hanging in drooping fringes, 
will be all alive with bees. Apricot, Peach, Plum, Cherry, 
and Pear trees, are great favorites ; but of all the fruit trees, 
none furnishes such a copious supply as the Apple. 

The Tulip tree, (Liriodendron^) sometimes called White 
Wood, is one of the greatest honey-producing trees in the 
world. In rich lands this magnificent tree will grow over 
one hundred feet high, and when covered with its large bell- 
shaped blossoms of mingled green and golden yellow, it is 
one of the most beautiful trees in the world. The blossoms 



PASTURAGE. 6b3 

expand in succession, often for more than two weeks, and a 
new swarm will frequently fill its hive from these trees alone. 
The honey, though dark in color, is of a rich flavor. This 
tree has been successfully cultivated as a shade tree, even as 
far North as Southern Vermont, and for the extraordinary 
beauty of its foliage and blossoms, deserves to be introduced 
wherever it can be made to grow. 

The Linden or Bass Wood, (TiZm Americana,) yields 
large quantities of honey, white in color, and of deli- 
cious flavor. As this tree blossoms at a season when the col- 
onies are strong, and the weather usually settled, and when 
other supplies are beginning to fail, it affords, unquestionably, 
one of the best supplies for bees. A correspondent of the 
Beinenzeilung, from Wisconsin, states that in 1853, several 
of his hives increased one hundred pounds each, in Aveight, 
while this tree was in blossom ! Judge Fishback, of Balavia, 
Ohio, informed me that nearly all his surplus honey was 
gathered from the Bass Wood. 

In most parts of New England, this tree is in such de- 
mand for cabinet making, that it has already become scarce, 
and many are unwisely felled when quite small. In some 
districts, the destruction of the Bass Wood, has done more 
than any thing else, to diminish the profits of bee-keeping. 
In vicinities where it abounds, swarms issuing as late even 
as the middle of July, are often able to fill their hives. This 
tree blosso«is when quite young, and grows very rapidly. 
The European variety, besides being less elegant in appear- 
ance, is infested by worms, and is not so reliable in its honey - 
yielding qualities. 

The American Linden blossoms soon after the white 
clover begins to fail, and a majestic tree covered with its 
yellow clusters, at a season when so few blossoms are to be 
seen, is a sight most beautiful and refreshing. 



384 PASTURAGE. 

" Here their delicious task, the fervent bees 
In swarming millions lend: around, athwart, 
Through the soft air the busy nations fly, 
Cling to the bud, and with inserted tube, 
Suck its pure essence, its etherial soul." 

Thomson. 

The common locust, and the honey-locust, ( Gleditschia 
TriacanthusJ are very desirable trees for the vicinity of an 
Apiary, yielding much honey, at a time when peculiarly 
valuable to the bees. In many sections, the setting out of 
large plantations of Locust and Bass Wood, would be highly 
profitable for the value of the wood, without any reference 
to Apiarian pursuits. 

The blossoms of onions abound in honey, the odor of 
which, when first gathered, is very offensive, but before it 
is sealed over, this disappears. Hives in the vicinity of ex- 
tensive beds of seed onions, will speedily become very 
heavy. 

Of all the sources from which bees derive their supplies, 
white clover is the most important. It yields large quanti- 
ties of very pure white honey, and wherever it abounds, 
the bee will find a rich harvest. In most parts of this 
country, it seems to be the chief reliance of the Apiary. 
Blossoming at a season of the year when the weather is 
usually both dry and hot, the bees as they gather the honey 
from it, after the sun has dried off the dew, find it so thick 
that it is ready to be sealed over almost at once. This 
clover ought to be much more extensively cultivated than it 
now is, and I consider myself as conferring a benefit not 
only on bee-keepers, but on the agricultural community at 
large, in being able to state on the authority of one of New 
England's ablest practical farmers and writers on agricul- 
tural subjects, Hon. Frederick Holbrook, of Brattleboro', 
Vermont, that the common white clover may be cultivated 



PASTURAGE. S85 

00 some soils to very great profit, as a hay crop. In an 
article for the New England Farmer, for May, 1853, he 
speaks as follows :— 

" The more general sowing of white clover-seed is con- 
fidently recommended. If land is in good heart at the time 
of stocking it to grass, white clover sown with the other 
grass-seeds will thicken up the bottom of mowings, grov/ing 
some eight or ten inches high, and in a thick mat, and thc- 
burden of hay will prove much heavier than it seemed likely 
to be before mowing. Soon after the practice of sowing 
white clover on the tillage-field commences, the plant will 
begin to show itself in various places on the farm, and 
ultimately gets pretty well scattered over the pastures, as it 
seeds very profusely, and the seeds are carried from place 
to place in the manure and otherwise. The price of the 
seed per pound in market is high ; but then one pound of it 
will seed more land, than two pounds of red clover seed ; 
so that in fact the former is the cheaper seed of the two, for 
an acre." 

" Red-top, red clover and while clover seeds, sown to- 
gether, produce a quality of hay universally relished by 
stock. My practice is, to seed all dry, sandy and gravelly 
lands with this mixture. The red and white clover pretty 
much make the crop the first year ; the second year, the red 
clover begins to disappear, and the red-top to take its place ; 
and after that, the red-top and white clover have full pos- 
session and make the very best hay for horses or oxen, 
milch cows or young stock, that I have been able to produce. 
The crop per acre, as compared with herds-grass, is not so 
bulky ; but tested by weight and by spending quality in the 
Winter, it is much the most valuable." 

" Herds-grass hay grown on moist uplands or reclaimed 
meadows, and swamps of a mucky soil, or lands not over- 
33 



386 PASTURAGE. 

charged with silicia, is of good quality ; but when grown on 
sandy and gravelly soils abounding in silex, the stalks are 
hard, wiry, coated with silicates as with glass, and neither 
horses nor cattle will eat it as well, or thrive as well on it 
as on hay made of red-top and clover ; as for milch cows, 
they winter badly on it, and do not give oat the milk as when 
fed on softer and more succulent hay." 

" The yield of honey by various plants and trees depends 
not only on the character of the season, but on the kind of 
soil in which they grow. Marsliy meadows are inferior to 
those of a dryer soil, for bee-pasturage. White clover grow- 
ing in the latter will be visited by bees, when that growing 
in the former is entirely neglected by ihem. Hence, when 
white clover is cultivated with a view to bee-pasturage, it is 
important that this fact be taken into consideration, in the 
selection of the land." — (Wagner.) 

For years, I attempted in vain to procure a cross between the 
red and white clover, in order to get something with the rich 
honey and hay-producing properties of the red, and yet with 
a short blossom into which the domestic bee might insert its 
probosis. A variety answering all these desirable ends, has 
been originated in Sweden, and imported into this country, 
by Mr. B. C. Rogers, of Philadelphia. It grows as tall as 
the red clover, bears many blossoms on a stalk, in size re- 
sembling the white, and is said to be preferred by cattle to 
almost any other kind of grass, while it answers admirably 
for bees. It is known by the name of Alsike, or Sw^edish 
White Clover. 

I am indebted to Mr. Wagner for the following interesting 
communication : 

" The views of the value of Swedish White Clover, pre- 
sented by reports from twelve different agricultural societies 
in the district of Dresden, are the result of careful experi- 



PASTUEAGE. 387 

ments, made in localities differing greatly in soil and ex- 
posure. We recapitulate the chief points. 

" 1. That Swedish White Clover is less liable to suffer 
from cold and wet weather, than the common red clover. 

" 2. That it is a less certain and less productive crop on 
dry sandy soil ; and that, on such soils, it is less valuable 
than common white clover ; but succeeds admirably on more 
loamy soils, and on such, surpasses either of the other kinds. 

" 3. That, in any rotation, it may safely follow the com- 
mon red clover. 

" 4. That the yield, per acre, of the first mowing, is not 
inferior to that of the red clover ; but that ordinarily the 
aftermath, or rowen, is not so abundant. 

" 5. That for soiling purposes, it should not be mown till 
it is in full blossom. 

" 6. That when cured, it is, as hay, a highly nutritious 
fodder, and is preferred, by cattle and milch cows, to that 
made from red clover. 

" 7. That the aftermath is followed by a dense and ex- 
cellent growth, furnishing most valuable pasturage till late in 
the season. 

" 8. That it yields an abundance of seed, easily threshed 
out by flail or machine, three or four days after mowing. 

" 9. That Swedish White Clover is fed to most advantage 
after it has fully matured its blossoms ; whilst red clover, if 
allowed to stand to this stage, will have already lost a consid- 
erable portion of its nutritive properties." 

A perusal of the above mentioned facts, will at once con- 
vince the intelligent agriculturist, of the importance of this 
new variety of clover. The red clover often requires to be 
cut before the other grasses growing with it, are sufficiently 
mature ; this very serious objection could be obviated by the 
introduction of the new variety. 



388 PASTURAGE, 

Buckwheat furnishes an excellent Fall feed for bees ; and 
often enables them to fill their hives with a generous supply 
against Winter. The honey being gathered either in the 
early part of the day, or when the atmosphere is moist, is 
often quite thin ; the bees sweat out a large portion of 
its moisture, but still they do not exhaust the whole, 
and in wet seasons, it is somev/hat liable to sour in 
the cells. Honey gathered in a dry season, is always 
thicker, and of course more valuable than that gathered in a 
wet one, as it contains much less water. Buckwheat is un- 
certain in its honey-bearing qualities ; in some seasons, it 
yields next to none, and hardly a bee will be seen upon a 
large field, while in others, it furnishes an extraordinary 
supply. The most practical and scientific agriculturists 
agree that so far from being an impoverishing crop, it is on 
many soils, one of the most profitable that can be raised. 
Every bee-keeper should have some in the vicinity of his 
hives. 

The following facts respecting the cultivation of buck- 
wheat, were communicated to me by Mr. A. Wells, of 
Greenfield, Mass. He had a piece of land so exhausted by 
successive crops of corn and rye, that it would produce 
Toothing but buckwheat, which he cultivated upon it for 
iwelve or thirteen successive years. At the end of this time 
ihe land had recovered sufficiently to produce good corn I 
Each year, the weeds and self-sown buckwheat, which grew 
upon it, were plowed under, in seeding for the new crop, 
and the result proves, how erroneous are the common notions 
respecting the exhausting efiTects on the land, of this grain. 

Dzierzon says : " In the stubble of winter grain, buck- 
wheat might be sown, whereby ample forage would be se- 
cured to the bees, late in the season, and a remunerating 
crop of grain garnered besides. This plant, growing so 



PASTURAGE. 389 

rapidly and maturing so soon, so productive in favorable 
seasons, and so well adapted to cleanse the land, certainly 
deserves more attention from farmers than it receives ; and 
its more frequent and general culture would greatly enhance 
the profits of bee-keeping. Its long continued and frequently 
renewed blossoms, yield honey so abundantly, that a popu- 
lous colony may easily collect fifty pounds in two weeks if 
the weather is favorable." 

I am almost afraid to state that the Canada thistle yields 
copious supplies of very pure honey, lest some slothful bee- 
keeper should regard such a pest with too lenient an eye. 
If, however, the formers will tolerate its growth, it is inter- 
esting to know that it can be turned lo so good an account. 
It affords its pasturage after the white clover has begun to 
fail. 

The raspberry is a great favorite with the bees, and fur- 
nishes a very delicious honey, in color and flavor it is de- 
cidedly superior to that from the white clover, while the 
comb is so delicate that it almost melts in the mouth. The 
sides of the roads, the borders of the fields, and the pastures 
of many of the hill-towns in Nev^ England, often abound 
with the wild red-raspberry ; and in all such favored loca- 
tions, numerous colonies of bees may be kept. I have often 
noticed that when it is in blossom, bees pay but little regard 
tn any other flower, holding even the the white clover in 
light esteem. Its drooping blossoms protect the honey from 
moisture, and the bees are able to gather from it, in weather 
too wet for them to obtain anything from the upright blossoms 
of the clover- As it furnishes a succession of flowers for 
some weeks, it yields a supply, almost if not quite, as lasting 
as the white clover. I regard it as the very best pasturage 
for bees with which I am acquainted, and as it is often su- 
perabundant in lands so precipitous and rocky, as to be 
33* 



390 PASTURAGE. 

nearly worthless, if duly improved, it may effect as great a 
change in their value, as the cultivation of the grape on the 
vme-clad terraces of the mountain districts in Europe. 

It will be observed that thus far, I have said nothing about 
cultivating flowers, to supply the bees with food. The little 
that can be done in this way, is of scarcely any account ; 
and it would be almost as reasonable to expect to furnish 
food for a stock of cattle, from a small grass plat, as honey 
for bees, from garden plants. The cultivation of bee- 
flowers is more a matter of pleasure than profit, to those 
who like to hear the happy hum of the busy insect, as they 
walk in their gardens. 

It hardly seems expedient to cultivate any field crops ex- 
cept such as are profitable in themselves, without any refer- 
ence to bees. If, however, there is any plant of this kind 
which would justify cultivaiion, it is the Borage, (Borago 
Officinalis.) It blossoms in June, and continues in bloom 
until severe frost, and is always covered with bees, even in 
dull weather, as its pendant blossoms keep the honey from 
the moisture ; the honey yielded by it, is of a superior qual- 
ity. An acre of it would support a large number of stocks. 
If in a village those who keep bees would unite to secure 
the sowing of an acre, in their immediate vicinity, each per- 
son paying in proportion to the number of stocks kept, it 
niight be found profitable. The plants should have about 
three feet of space every way, and after covering the ground, 
would need no further attention. They would come into 
full blossom, cultivated in this manner, about the time that 
the white clover begins to fail, and would not only furnish 
rich pasture for the bees, but would keep them from the 
groceries and shops in which so many perish. 

If those who are engaged in adorning our villages and 
country residences with shade trees, would be careful to set 



PASTURAGE. 801 

out a liberal allowance of such kinds as are not only beau- 
tiful to the sight, but attractive to the bees, in process of time 
the honey-resources of the country might be very greatly 
increased. 

The fact that buckwheat, in some seasons, produces 
scarcely any honey, has already been noticed. It is not, 
however, peculiar in this respect. The yield of honey de- 
pends upon a very great variety of causes, many of which 
often elude our closest scrutiny. It is well known to sugar- 
makers that the flow of sap from the maple is uncertain, and 
that cfien it suddenly ceases, and as suddenly begins again, 
when they are able to assign no reason for such variations. 
So in some seasons blossoms will superabound in honey, 
while in others, the suppl}'- is extremely deficient. I have 
known bees to neglect the white clover, and suffer for want 
of food, when the fields have been almost white with its 
blossoms ! 

Sometimes a change in the supply of honey in the nec- 
taries of the blossoms vnW take place so suddenly, that in a 
few hours, hives will pass from idleness to great activity. 
The bee-keeper should be thoroughly acquainted w^ith the 
honey-resources of his district, and should know at what 
time the various supplies may be duly expected ; for if ig- 
norant in such matters, he can never manage his bees to the 
best advantage. 

The Golden Rod, {Solidago,) affords a late and valuable 
bee-pasturage. There are many varieties of this plant, so 
closely resembling each other that they are distinguished 
with difficulty ; some of the earlier flowering kinds, are of no 
value for bees, but those which blossom in September, yield 
a large supply of honey. In some regions and seasons it 
forms an important part of the honey stored for winter use. 

The numerous species of wild Asters, fining, in many 



392 OVERSTOCKING. 

districts, the road sides and the borders of fields, are, almost 
if not quite, as valuable to the bees as the Golden Rod. 
Where these two last mentioned plants abound, bees should 
not be fed until they have passed out of bloom, as light but 
strong stocks, will often obtain from them a supply. 

no danger, at present, of overstocking a district with 
Bees. 

We have now come to a point of the very first impor- 
tance to all interested in the cultivation of bees. If the 
opinions which most American bee-keepers entertain on the 
subject of overstocking, are correct, then the keeping of 
bees, in this country, must always remain an insignificant 
pursuit. I confess that I find it difficult to repress a smile, 
when the owner of a few hives, in a district where as many 
hundreds might be made to prosper, gravely imputes his ill 
success, to the fact that too many bees are kept in his 
vicinity ! If in the Spring, a colony of bees is prosperous 
and healthy, it will gather abundant stores, even if hundreds 
equally strong, are in its immediate vicinity, while if it is 
feeble, it will be of little or no value, even if it is in " a land 
flowing with milk and honey," and there is not another swarm 
within a dozen miles of it. 

Success in bee-keeping requires that a man should, in 
some things, be a very close imitator of Napoleon, who al- 
ways aimed to have an overwhelming force, at the right 
time, and in the right place ; so the bee-keeper must have 
strong colonies, just at the time when numbers can be turned 
to the best account. If the bees are not numerous, until the 
honey-harvest is almost over, numbers will then be of as 
little account, as were many of the famous armies against 
which " the soldier of Europe" contended ; which, after the 



ovERSTOCKma. 393 

fortunes of the campaign were decided, only served to swell 
the triumphant spoils of the mighty conqueror. A bee-keeper 
with feeble stocks in the Spring, which become strong only 
when they can do nothing but eat up the little honey that 
has been previously gathered, is like a farmer who, after 
suffering his crops to rot upon the ground, hires, at great 
expense, a number of stalworth laborers, to idle about his 
premises, and eat him out of house and home ! 

I do not believe that there is a single square mile in this 
whole country, which is overstocked with bees, unless it is 
one so unsuitable for bee-keeping, as to make it unprofitable 
to attempt it at all. Such an assertion may seem very un- 
guarded ; but I am happy to be able to cofirra it, by refer- 
ence to the experience of the largest cultivators in Europe. 
The following letter from Mr. Wagner, I trust will show our 
bee-keepers, how mistaken ihey are in their opinions on this 
subject, and also what large results might be obtained from 
a more extensive cultivation of bees. 

York, March 16, 1853. 

Dear Sir : 

In reply to your enquiry respecting the overstocking 
of a district, I would say that the present opinion of the 
correspondents of the Bienenzeitung, appears to be that it 
cannot readily he done. Dzierzon says, in practice at least, 
" i7 never is done;''"' and Dr. Radlkofer, of Munich, the 
President of the second Apiarian Convention, declares that 
his apprehensions on that score were dissipated by observa- 
tions which he had opportunity and occasion to make, when 
on his way home from the Convention. I have numerous 
accounts of Apiaries in pretty close proximity, containing 
from 200 to 300 colonies each. Ehrenfels had a thousand 



394 OVERSTOCKINa. 

hives, at three separate establishments, indeed, but so close 
to each other that he could visit them all in half an hour's 
ride ; and he says that in 1801, the average net yield of his 
Apiaries was two dollars per hive. In Russia and Hungary, 
Apiaries numbering from 2000 to 5000 colonies are said not 
to be unfrequent ; and we know that as many as 4000 hives 
are oftentimes congregated, in Autumn, at one point on the 
heaths of Germany. Hence I think we need not fear that 
any district of this country, so distinguished for abundant 
natural vegetation and diversified culture, will very speedily 
be overstocked, particularly after the importance of having 
stocks populous early in the Spring, comes to be duly ap- 
preciated. A week or ten days of favorable weather, at 
that season, when pasturage abounds, will enable a sti^ong 
colony to lay up an ample supply for the year, if its labor 
be properly directed. 

Mr. Kaden, one of the ablest contributors to the Bienen- 
zeitung, in the number for December, 1852, noticing the 
communication from Dr. Radlkofer, says, " I also concur in 
the opinion that a district of country cannot be overstocked 
with bees ; and that, however numerous the colonies, all can 
procure sufficient sustenance if the surrounding country con- 
tain honey-yielding plants and vegetables, in the usual degree. 
Where utter barrenness prevails, the case is different, of 
course, as well as rare." 

The Fifteenth Annual Meeting of German Agriculturists 
was held in the city of Hanover, on the 10th of September, 
1852, and in compliance with the suggestions of the Apia- 
rian Convention, a distinct section devoted to bee-culture 
was instituted. The programme propounded sixteen ques- 
tions for discussion, the fourth of which was as follows : 

" Can a district of country embracing meadows, arable 



OVEESTOCKING. 395 

land, orchards, and forests, be so overstocked with bees, that 
these may no longer find adequate sustenance, and yield a 
remunerating surplus of their products ?" 

This question was debated with considerable animation. 
The Rev. Mr. Kleine, (nine-tenths of the correspondents of 
the Bee-Journal are clergymen,) President of the section, 
gave it as his opinion that " it was hardly conceivable that 
such a country coald be overstocked with bees." Counsel- 
lor Herwig, and the Rev. Mr. Wilkens, on the contrary, 
maintained that " it might be overstocked." In reply. As- 
sessor Heyne remarked that " whatever might be supposed 
possible as an extreme case, it was certain that as regards 
the kingdom of Hanover, it could not be even remotely ap- 
prehended that too many Apiaries w^ould ever be established ; 
and that consequently the greatest possible multiplication of 
colonies might safely be aimed at and encouraged. At the 
same time, he advised a proper distribution of Apiaries. 

I might easily furnish you with more matter of this sort, 
and designate a considerable number of Apiaries in various 
parts of Germany, containing from twenty-five to five hund- 
red colonies. But the question would still recur, do not 
these Apiaries occupy comparatively isolated positions ? and 
at this distance from the scene, it would obviously be impos-^ 
sible to give a perfectly satisfactory answer. 

According to the statistical tables of the kingdom of Han- 
over, the annual production of bees-Vv^ax in the province of 
Lunenburg, is 300,000 lbs., about one half of which is ex- 
ported ; and assuming one pound of wax as the yield of 
each hive, we must siippose that 300,000 hives are annually 
" irimstoned " in the province ; and assuming further, in 
view of casualties, local influences, unfavorable seasons, &.C., 
that only one half of the whole number of colonies main- 
tained, produce a swarm each, every year, it would require a 



896 OVERSTOCKING. 

total of at least 600,000 colonies, (141 to each square mile,) 
to secure the result given in the tables. 

The number of square miles stocked even to this extent, 
in this country, are, I suspect, " few and far betv\^een." It 
is very evident, that this country is far from being over- 
stocked ; nor is it likely that it ever v^ill be. 

A German writer alleges that " the bees of Lunenburg, 
pay all the taxes assessed on their proprietors, and leave a 
surplus besides." The importance attached to bee-culture, 
accounts in part for the remarkable fact that the people of 
a district so barren that it has been called " the Arabia 
of Germany," are almost without exception in easy and 
comfortable circumstances. Could not still more favorable 
results be obtained in this country under a rational system 
of management, availing itself of the aid of science, art 
and skill ? 

But, I am digressing. My design was to furnish you with 
an account of bee-culture as it exists in an entire district of 
country^ in the hands of the common peasantry. This I 
thought would be more satisfactory, and convey a better idea 
of what may be done on a large scale, than any number of 
instances which might be selected of splendid success in 
isolated cases. Very truly yours, 

SAMUEL WAGNER. 

Rev. L. L. Langstroth. 

1 am persuaded that even in the poorest parts of New 
England, there are but few districts which could not be 
made to yield as large returns as the Province of Lunen- 
burg, even if the old-fashioned plan of management was 
adhered to. Indeed, the more experience I have of the 
ignorance, carelessness, and indifference of the great mass 
of bee-keepers, in this country, the more firmly am I con- 



OVERSTOCKING. 39T 

vinced that the less they depart from the old system, the 
larger will be their profits. The most successful Apiarians, 
are those who intelligently use improved systems of man- 
agement ; next to them are the dogged adherents of the old 
box, and the brimstone match. 

The following remarks from Oetle, on overstocking, page 
298, are much to the purpose : " When a large flock of 
sheep is grazing on a limited area, there may soon be a de- 
ficiency of pasturage. But this cannot be asserted of beeSy 
as a good honey-district cannot readily be overstocked with 
them. To-day when the air is moist and warm, the plants 
may yield a superabundance of nectar ; while to-morrow, 
being cold and wet, there may be a total want of it. When 
there is sufficient heat and moisture, the saccharine juices of 
plants will readily fill the nectaries, and will be quickly re- 
plenished, when carried off by the bees. Every cold night 
-checks the flow of honey ; * and every clear warm day re- 
opens the fountain. The Jiowers expanded to-day must he 
visited while open, for if left to wither^ their stores are lost. 
The same remarks will apply substantially in the case of 
honey-dews. Hence bees cannot, as many suppose, collect 
to-morrow what is left ungathered to-day, as sheep may 
graze hereafter on the pasturage they do not need now. 
Strong colonies and large Apiaries, are in a position to collect 
ample stores when forage suddenly abounds, while by pa- 
tient, persevering industry, they may still gather a suffi- 
ciency, and even a surplus, when the supply is small, but 
more regular and protracted." 

The same able Apiarian whose golden rule in bee-keeping 
is, to keep none but strong colonies, says that in the lapse of 
twenty years since he established his Apiary, there has not 
occurred a season in which the bees did not procure adequate 

* The same is true of the flow of sap from the sugar maple. 
34 



398 OVERSTOCKING. 

supplies for themselves, and a surplus besides. Sometimes 
indeed, he came near despairing, when April, May and June 
were continually cold, wet and unproductive ; but in July, 
his strong colonies speedily filled their garners, and stored 
up some treasure for him ; while in such seasons, small 
colonies could not even gather enough to keep them from 
starvation. 

M. A. Braum states in the Bienenzeitung, September 1854, 
that he has a mammoth hive furnished with combs contain- 
ing at least 184,230 cells,* and placed on a platform scale 
that its weight may readily be ascertained at stated periods. 
On the 18th of May it gained eighteen pounds and a half. 
On the 18th of June a swarm weighing seven pounds issued 
from it ; and the following day it gained over six pounds in 
weight. Ten days of abundant pasturage, would enable 
such a colony to gather a large surplus ; while five times 
the number of equally favorable opportunities, would be of 
small avail to a feeble stock. 

The Island of Corsica paid to Rome an annual tribute of 
200,000 lbs. of wax, which presupposes the production of 
from two to three million pounds of honey yearly. The 
island contains 3790 square miles. 

According to Oetle, (p. 389,) Bohemia contained 160,000 
colonies in 1853, from a careful estimate, and he thinks the 
country could readily support four times that number. The 
kingdom contains 20,200 square miles. 

In the province of Attica, in Greece, containing forty-five 
square miles, and 20,000 inhabitants, 20,000 hives are kept, 
each yielding, on an average, 30 pounds of honey and two 
pounds of wax. One hive to every man, woman and 
child ! 

East Friesland, a province of Holland, containing 1,200 
* Such a hive would hold about three bushels. 



OVERSTOCKINa. 399 

square miles, maintains an average of 2,000 colonies per 
square mile! (Heubel, Beinenzeitung, 1854, p. 11.) 

Doubtless in these districts where honey is so largely pro- 
duced, great attention is paid to the cultivation of crops 
which, while in themselves profitable, at the same time afford 
abundant pasturage to the bees. 

The question, how far bees will fly in search of food, has 
been very differently answered by different Apiarians.* I 
am satisfied that they will fly over three miles, but believe 
that if their food is not within a circle of about two miles 
in every direction from the Apiary, they will be able to store 
but little surplus honey. If pasturage abounds within a 
quarter of a mile from their hives, so much the better ; but 
there is no great advantage in having it close to them, unless 
there is a great supply, as bees when they leave the hive, 
are seldom seen to alight upon the adjoining flowers. The 
instinct to fly to some considerable distance, was unques- 
tionably given them to prevent the great loss which would 
result, if they wasted their time in prying into flowers al- 
ready despoiled of their sweets, by previous gatherers. 

In all my arrangements, I have aimed to save every step 
for the bees that I possibly can, economizing to the utmost 
their time, that it may all be transmuted into honey ; an in- 
spection of the Frontispiece of this treatise, will exhibit the 

* " Mr. Kaden, of Mayence, thinks that the range of the bees' flight 
does not usually extend more than three miles in all directions. Sev- 
eral years ago, a vessel laden with sugar, anchored off Mayence, and 
was soon visited by the bees of the neighborhood, which continued to 
pass to and from the vessel from dawn to dark. One morning, when 
the bees were in full flight, the vessel sailed up the river. For a short 
time the bees continued to fly as numerously as before ; but gradually 
the number diminished, and in the course of half an hour, all had 
ceased to follow the vessel, which had meanwhile sailed more than four 
miles." — Bienenzeitung, 1854, p. 83. 



400 OVERSTOCKING. 

general aspect of the alighting board of my hives, and show 
how readily bees will enter such a hive, even in very windy 
weather. By such arrangements, they will be able to 
store more honey, even if they have to go a consider- 
able distance for it, than they can in many other hives, 
from pasturage nearer at hand. Such considerations are 
entirely overlooked, by many bee-keepers, who seem to 
imagine that they are matters of no importance. By 
their utter neglect of any kind of precautions to facili- 
tate the labors of their bees, you might suppose that they 
imagined these delicate insects to be possessed of nerves of 
steel, and sinews of iron or adamant ; or else that they took 
them for miniature locomotives, always iired up, and capable 
of an indefinite amount of exertion, A bee cannot put forth 
more than a certain amount of physical exertion, and if a 
large portion of this is spent in contending against difficulties, 
from which it might easily be guarded, it is obvious that a 
great loss must be sustained by its owner. 

If some of these thoughtless bee-keepers, returning home 
with a heavy burden, were compelled to fall down stairs half 
a dozen times, before they could get into the house, or to 
squeeze through narrow and crowded passages, they might 
perhaps think it best to protect their industrious workers 
from such discouraging accidents. If bees are tossed vio- 
lently about by the winds, as they attempt to enter their hives, 
they are often fatally injured, and the whole colony so dis- 
couraged, to say nothing more, that they do not gather near 
so much as they otherwise would. 

Just as soon as our cultivators can be convinced, by prac- 
tical results, that bee-keeping, for the capital invested, may 
be made a most profitable branch of rural economy, they 
will see the importance of putting their bees into suitable 
hives, and doing all they can, to give them a fair chance ; 



OVERSTOCKING. 401 

until then, the mass will follow the beaten track, and attribute 
their ill success, not to their own ignorance, carelessness or 
stupidity, but to their want of " luck," or to the overstocking 
of the country with bees. I hope, before many years, to 
see the price of good honey so reduced that the poor man 
can feast upon it, as one of the cheapest luxuries within hi§' 
reach. 

" II is by no means easy to devise a rule for estimating; 
the profits of bee-culture, whether we regard the number of 
colonies, or the number of square miles. He is not the best 
Apiarian who obtains the largest yield from a single hive^ 
but keeps only one or two. By very judicious and careful 
management, a hundred colonies might yield a large profit, 
yet fall far short of what three hundred would have yielded 
in the same location and same sea.son, with much less super- 
vision and attention. He is not the most successful farmer 
who produces the most extraordinary yield from a single rod 
of ground ; but he who secures the amplest crops from an 
extensive area well cultivated. The swarming system may 
be very advantageous in certain localities, in spite of ita 
manifest wastefulness, though in other localities, it would, 
because of that unavoidable wastefulness, render bee-keeping 
a decidedly losing business, since the system involves a vast 
expenditure of honey for the production and maintenance of 
brood, which scarcely matures before it is doomed to the 
brimstone pit, leaving to its owner often a smaller quantity 
of honey than the swarm would have produced if taken up 
three weeks after it was hived.* 

" Confine the queen of an artificial swarm, so as to prevent 

* Not only does the old fashioned bee-keeper, by delaying to take up 

his bees until Fall, lose often a large amount of honey, but even if he 

loses nothing in quantity, he often permits the bees to consume for 

themselves, the larger part of the best honey, gathered early in the 

34* 



402 OVERSTOCKING. 

her from depositing eggs in the combs, and the colony will 
in a short time in the gathering season, accumulate much 
larger stores of honey, than one whose queen is left at lib- 
erty, though equal in age and populatiou. Thus also, a 
colony having a very prolific queen, w^ill even in favorable 
seasons, lay up much less honey, unless ample store room is 
given tfiem, than one whose queen lays fewer eggs. From 
these and similar facts which might be enumerated, it is evi- 
dent, that a very large number of particulars must be taken 
into consideration, when endeavoring to form some general 
rule for estimating the profits of bee-culture." (Wagner.) 

On page 22, a statement was given of Dzierzon's expe- 
rience as to the profits of bee-keeping. The section of 
country in which he resides, is regarded by him as unfavor- 
able to Apiarian pursuits. I shall now give what T consider 
a safe estimate for almost any section in our country ; while 
in unusually favorable locations it will fall far below the re- 
sults which may be attained. It is based upon the supposi- 
tion that the bees are kept in properly constructed hives, so 
as to be strong early in the season, and that the increase of 
stocks is limited to one new one, from two old ones. 
Under proper management, on an average of years, about 
ten dollars worth of honey may be obtained for every 
two stocks wintered over. The worth of the new colo- 
nies, I set off as an equivalent for labor of superintend- 

season, and has for himself, chiefly an inferior, late gathered article. 
It will be seen thai much judgment is requisite, in order to know, 
even on the old plan, when it is most profitable to kill the bees. An 
intimate acquaintance with the honey-resources of the district, is abso- 
lutely necessary to decide the question. If bees are smothered, it will 
be found decidedly advantageous to remove and destroy their queens, 
at least three weeks before taking their honey ; in this way the produc- 
tion of brood and consumption of honey will be checked, and the 
combs will be in a much better condition for melting. 



OVERSTOCKmG. 40B 

ence, and interest on the money invested in bees, hives, 
fixtures, &c. 

A careful man who will enter into bee-keeping moderately 
at first, and extend his operations only as his skill and expe- 
rience increase, will, by the use of my hives, find that the 
preceding estimate is not too large. Even on the ordinary 
mode of bee-keeping, there are many who will consider it 
rather below than above the mark. If thoroughly careless 
persons are determined to " try their luck," as they call itj 
with bees, I advise them by all means, in mercy to the bees, 
to adopt the old plan. Improved methods of management 
with such persons will be of little or no use, unless you can 
improve their habits, and very often their brains too ! Every 
dollar that they spend upon bees, unless with the slightest 
possible departure from the old-fashioned plans, is a dollar 
worse than thrown away. In those parts of Europe where 
bee-keeping is conducted on the largest scale, the mass 
adhere to the old system. ; this they understand, and by this 
they secure a certainty, whereas in our country, thousands 
have been induced to enter upon the wildest schemes, or at 
least to use hives which could not furnish them the informa- 
tion absolutely necessary for their successful management. 
A simple box furnished with my frames, will enable the 
masses, without departing materially from the common 
system, to increase largely ihe yield from their bees. (See 
p. 240.) 

The Government of Norway has appropriated f 300 per 
annum, for three years, towards' diffusing a knowledge of 
Dzierzon's method, in that country, having previously des- 
patched Mr. Hanser, Collector of Customs, to Silesia, to visit 
Dzierzon, and acquire a practical knowledge of his system of 
management. 



404 OVERSTOCKING. 

The Prussian Government, through its Department of 
Agriculture, furnishes annually a number of persons from 
different sections of the kingdom, with the means of acquir- 
ing a practical knowledge of Dzierzon's system ; while the 
Bavarian Government has prescribed instruction in the theory 
and practice of bee-culture, according to Dzierzon's system, 
as a part of the regular course of studies in the Teachers' 
Seminaries of that country. 

The lime has hardly come when the attention of any of 
our State authorities can be attracted to the importance of 
bee-culture. It is only of late that they have seemed to 
manifest any peculiar interest in promoting the advancement 
of agricultural pursuits. A Department of Agriculture 
ought to have been established, years ago, by the National 
Government at Washington. A National Society to promote 
the agricultural interests of the country, has recently been 
established, and much may be hoped from its wisdom and 
energy. Until some disinterested tribunal can be established, 
before which all inventions and discoveries can be fairly 
tested, honest men will suffer, and ignorance and imposture 
will continue to flourish, Lying advertisements and plaus- 
ible misrepresentations of brazen-faced impostors, will still 
drain the purses of the credulons, while thousands, disgusted 
with the horde of impositions which are palmed off upon the 
community, will settle down into a determination to try noth- 
ing new. A society before which every thing, claiming to 
be an improvement in rural economy, could be fairly tested, 
would undoubtedly be shunned by ignorant and unprincipled 
men, who now find it an easy task to procure any number 
of certificates, but who dread nothing so much as honest 
and intelligent investigation. The reports of such a society, 
after the most thorough trials and examinations, would in- 



OVERSTOCKING. 405 

spire confidence, save the community from severe losses, 
and encourage the ablest minds to devote their best energies 
to the improvement of agricultural implements. 

The following catalogue of bee-flowers, is taken from 
Nutt, an English Apiarian. 

" Alder tree, Almond tree, Althea frutex, Alyssum, Ama- 
ranthus, Apple tree. Apricot tree, Arbutus Ash tree, As- 
paragus, Aspin, Aster. Balm, Bean, Beech tree, Betony, 
Blackberry, Black currant tree. Borage, Box tree. Bramble, 
Broom, Bugloss (viper's), Buckwheat, Burnet. Cabbage, 
Cauliflower, Celery, Cherry tree, Chestnut tree, Chickweed, 
Clover, Cole or Coleseed, Coltsfoot, Coriander, Crocus, 
Crowfoot, Crown Imperial, Cucumber, Currants, Cypress 
tree. Daffodil, Dandelion,* Dogberry tree. Elder tree. 
Elm tree. Endive. - Fennel, Furze. Golden Eod,t 
Gooseberry tree. Gourd. Hawthorn, Hazel tree, Heath, 
Holly, Hollyhock (trumpet,) Honeysuckle, Honeywort (cer- 
inthe,) Hyacinth, Hysop. Ivy. Jonquil. Kidney bean. 
Laurel, Laurustinus, Lavender, Leek, Lemon tree, Lily 
(water,) Lily (white,) Lime tree. Linden (Bass Wood,) 
Liquidamber, Liriodendron, or Tulip tree, Lucerne. Mal- 
low (marsh,) Marigold (French,) Marigold (single,) Maple 
tree, Marjoram (sweet,) Mellilot, Melons, Mezereon, 
Mignionette, Mustard. Nasturtium, Nectarine tree. Net- 
tle (white.) Oak tree. Onion, Orange tree, Ozier. Pars- 

*The Dandelion is worth}^ of a prominent rank among honey- 
producing plants ; it blossoms after the yield from fruit trees 
is nearly over, and furnishing abundant supplies of pollen and 
honey, at a critical period of the year, is often of great service to 
the honey-bee. 

f The Golden Kod has been so productive this month, (Sept. 1856,) 
that strong stocks with empty combs, have amassed from it a winter's 
supply ! 



406 ANGER OF BEES. 

nip, Pea, Peach tree. Pear tree, Peppermint, Plane tree, 
Plum tree, Poplar tree, Poppy, Primrose, Privet. Radish, 
Ragweed, Raspberry, Rosemary (wild), Roses (single,) 
RudbeckiiB. Saffron, Sage, Saintfoin, St. John's wort, 
Savory (winter,) Snowdrop, Snovvberry tree. Stock (single,) 
Strawberry, Sunflower, Sycamore tree, Squash. Tan- 
sy (wild,) Tare, Teasel, Thistle, (common,) Thistle 
(sow,) Thyme (lemon,) Thyme (wild,) Trefoil, Turnip. 
Vetch, Violet (single). Wallflower (single), Woad, Wil- 
low-herb, Willow tree. Yellow weasel-snout." 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Anger of Bees — Remedies for their stings — Instincts of Bees, 

If the bee was disposed to use its effective weapon, when 
not provoked, its domestication would be entirely out of the 
question. The same remark, however, is equally true of 
the ox, the horse, or the dog. If these faithful servants of 
man, were respectively determined to use, to the very ut- 
most, horns, heels, and teeth, to his injury, he could never 
have subjected them to his peaceful authority. The gende- 
ness of the honey-bee, when kindly treated, and managed 
by those who understand its instincts, has in this treatise 
been frequendy spoken of, and I do not hesitate to say that 
it is more easily and completely subject to human control, 
than any other living creature which man has attempted to 
domesticate. Whenever they are gorged with honey, they 
will allow any amount of handling which does not hurt them, 
without the slighest show of anger. For the gratification of 



ANGER OF BEES. 407 

others, I have frequently taken them up, by handfulls, suf- 
fered them to run over my face, and even smoothed down 
their glossy backs, as they rested on my person ! Standing 
before the hives, I have, by a rapid sweep of my hands, 
caught numbers of them at once, just as though they were 
so many harmless flies, and allowed them, one by one, to 
crawl out, by the smallest opening, to the light of day ; and 
I have even gone so far as to imitate many of the feats 
which the celebrated English Apiarian, Wildman, was ac- 
customed to perform ; who having once secured the queen 
of a hive, could make the bees cluster on his head, or hang, 
like a flowing beard, in large festoons, from his chin. Wild- 
man, for a long time, made as great a mystery of his vfon- 
derful performances, as the charlatan spirit-rappers of the 
present day, do of theirs ; but at last, he was induced to 
explain his whole mode of procedure ; and the magic con- 
trol which he possessed over the bees, and which was, by 
the ignorant, ascribed to his having bewitched them, was 
found to be owing entirely to his superior acquaintance 
with their instincts, and his uncommon dexterity and bold- 
ness. 

'^ Such was the spell, which round a Wildman's arm, 
Twin'd in dark wreaths the fascinated swarm ; 
Bright o'er his breast the glittering legions led, 
Or with a living garland bound his head. 
His dextrous hand, with firm yet hurtless hold, 
Could seize the chief, known by her scales of gold, 
Prune 'mid the wondering train her filmy wing, 
Or o'er her folds the silken fetter fling." 

M. Lombard, a skillful French Apiarian narrates the fol- 
lowing interesting occurrence, to show how peaceable bees 
are in swarming time, and how easily managed by those 
who have both skill and confidence. 

" A young girl of my acquaintance," he says, " was 



408 ANGER OF BEES. 

greatly afraid of bees, but was completely cured of her fear 
by the following incident. A swarm having come off, 1 
observed the queen alight by herself at a little distance from 
the Apiary. I immediately called my little friend that I 
might show her the queen ; she wished to see her more 
nearly, so after having caused her to put on her gloves, I 
gave the queen into her hand. We were in an instant sur- 
rounded by the whole bees of the swarm. In this emer- 
gency I encouraged the girl to be steady, bidding her be 
silent and fear nothing, and remaining myself close by her ; 
I then made her stretch out her right hand, which held the 
queen, and covered her head and shoulders with a very thin 
handkerchief. The swarm soon fixed on her hand and hung 
from it, as from the branch of a tree. The little girl was 
delighted above measure at the novel sight, and so entirely 
freed from all fear, that she bade me uncover her face. The 
spectators were charmed with the interesting spectacle. At 
length I brought a hive, and shaking the swarm from the 
child's hand, it was lodged in safety, and Vv/"ithout inflicting a 
single wound." 

The indisposition of bees to sting, when swarming, is a 
fact familiar to every practical bee-keeper : as far as I know, 
no previous Apiarian has discovered the philosophy of this 
fact, by noticing that when bees are filled with honey, they 
lose all disposition to volunteer an assault, and that this 
curious law is the foundation of an extensive and valuable 
system of practical management. It was only after I had 
thoroughly tested its universality and importance, that I 
began to feel the desirableness of obtaining a perfect con- 
trol over each comb in the hive ; for it was only then that I 
saw that such control might be made available, in the hands 
of any one who could manage bees in the ordinary way. 
The effect of my whole system, is to make the bees unusu- 



ANGER OF BEES. 409 

ally gentle, so that they are not only peaceable when any 
necessary operation is being performed, but at all other times. 
Even if the hives could be opened at pleasure, still if such 
liberties resulted in leaving the bees in an unusually irritable 
state, it would avail but little. 

Persons vi^ho have much to do with bees, unless they 
use a bee-dress, will incur a risk which necessarily attaches 
to every system of bee-culture. If an Apiary is approached, 
thousands and tens of thousands of bees will continue their 
busy pursuits, without interfering with those who do not 
molest them. But frequently a few cross bees will come 
buzzing around our ears, appearing determined to sting with- 
out the very slightest provocation. From such lawless as- 
sailants no person, without a bee-dress, is absolutely safe. 
By repeated examinations, I have ascertained that disease is 
generally the cause of such unusual irritability. I am never 
afraid that a healthy bee will attack me, unless provoked ; 
and am always sure as soon as I hear one singing about my 
ears, that it is* incurably diseased. Such a bee when dis- 
sected, will exhibit unmistakable evidence that a peculiar 
kind of dysentery, has already fastened upon its system. In. 
the first stages of this complaint, the insect is very irritable, 
refuses to labor, and seems unable or unwilling to distinguish 
friend from foe. As the disease progresses, it becomes 
stupid, its abdomen is distended with a great mass of 
yellow matter, and the insect unable to fly, crawls on the 
ground, in front of the hive, and speedily perishes. I have 
never been able to ascertain the cause of ihis singular mal- 
ady, nor can T suggest any remedy for it. I hope that 
some scientific Apiarians will investigate it closely, for if 
it could be remedied, we might have hundreds of colonies 
on our premises and in our gardens, and yet incur scarcely 
any risk of being stung. 
S5 



410 , ANGER OF BEES. 

A person thoroughly acquainted with the leading princi- 
ples of bee-culture, as they are set forth in this Manual, will 
never under any circu7nstances, find it necessary to provoke 
to fury a colony of bees. Let it be remembered that nothing 
can be more terribly vindictive than a family of bees when 
thoroughly aroused by gross abuse, or unskillful treatment. 
Let their hive be suddenly overthrown, or violently jarred, 
or the bees provoked by the presence of a sweaty horse, or 
any offensive animal, so that the anger at first manifested by 
a few, is extended to the whole community, and the most 
severe and sometimes dangerous consequences may ensue. 
In the same wa}^ the animals most useful to man, may by 
ignorance or abuse, be roused to a state of frantic des- 
peration ; limbs may he broken, and often lives destroyed, 
and yet no one possessed of common sense, attributes such 
calamities, except in rare instances, to any thing else than 
carelessness or want of skill. Even the most peaceable 
stock of bees can, in a very few days, by abusive treatment, 
be taught to look on every living thing as an enemy, so as to 
sally forth with the most spiteful intentions, as soon as any 
one approaches their domicile. How often does it happen 
that the vicious beast, which its owner so passionately 
beats, is far less to blame for its obstinacy, than the equally 
vicious brute who so unmercifully belabors it ! 

A word here to those timid females, who are almost 
ready to faint, or to go into hysterics, if a bee enters the 
house, or approaches them in ihe garden or fields. Such 
alarm is entirely uncalled for. Il is only in the vicinity of 
their homes, and in resistance to what they consider an evil 
design upon their very altars and firesides, that these insects 
ever volunteer an attack. Away from home, they are as 
peaceably inclined as you could desire. If you attack them, 
they are much more eager to escape, than to offer you any 



ANGER OF BEES. 411 

annoyance, and they can be induced to sting, only when they 
are compressed, either by accident or design. 

Let none of my readers imagine that they have even a 
slight encouragement, from this conduct of the bee, to 
reserve all their sweet smiles and honied words, for the 
world abroad, while they give free vent, in the sacred pre- 
cincts of home, to cross looks and ill-tempered language ; 
for towards the occupants of its honied dome, the bee is all 
kindness and affection. In the experience of many years I 
never saw an instance in which two bees, members of the 
same family, ever seemed to be actuated by any but the 
very kindest feelings towards each other. In their busy 
haste they often jostle against each other, but as every thing 
is well meant, so every thing is well received ; tens of thou- 
sands ail living together in the sweetest harmony and peace, 
when often where there are only two or three children in a 
family, the whole household is tormented by their constant 
bickerings and contentions. Among the bees, the good mother 
is the honored queen of her happy family ; all waiting upon 
her steps with unbounded reverence and affection, making 
way for her as she moves over the combs, smoothing and 
brushing her beautiful plumes, offering her food from time 
to time, and in short doing all that they possibly can to make 
her perfectly happy ; while too often children treat their 
mothers with irreverence or neglect, and instead of striving 
with loving zeal to lighten their labors, and save their steps, 
they treat them more as though they were servants hired 
only to wait upon their whims, and humor their caprices. 

I am aware that bees show no mercy to any, even of their 
own colony, who from sickness or injury, become unfit to 
perform their proper share of labor. All such are remorse- 
lessly seized and hurried out of the hive, being often carried 
to a distance to die alone, that the stench of their dead 



412 ANGER OF EEES. 

bodies may not be offensive to their pitiless companions^ 
There is nothing, however, in the nature of a bee to be ben- 
efitted by nursing the sick, or waiting upon the crippled, 
while often the very noblest traits of humanity, are most 
beautifully developed by the incessant care and self-denial, 
required by the weak and helpless of the human family. 
" The heathen in their blindness," may, like the bees, expose 
their feeble children and aged parents, but it is the glory of 
man's nature to imitate Him who not only " went about do- 
ing good," but who " bare our sorrows and carried our sick- 
nesses," that we who are strong, might learn from his Godlike 
example, to lighten the burdens of those who are weak. 

Let us pause for a moment, and contemplate further the 
admirable arrangement by which the instinct of the bee 
which disposes it to defend its treasures, is made so perfectly 
compatible with the safety both of man, and the domestic 
animals under his care. Suppose that away from home, 
bees were as easily provoked, as they are in the immediate 
vicinity of their hives, what would become of our domestic 
animals, among the clover fields, or on the hill-side pastures > 
A. tithe of the merry gambols they now so safely indulge 
m, would speedily bring about them a swarm of these infu- 
riated insects. In all our rambles among the green fields, 
we should ourselves be in constant peril ; and no jocund 
mower could ever whet his glittering scythe, or swing his 
peaceful weapon, unless first clad in a dress impervious to 
their stings. In short, the bee, instead of being the friend 
of man, would be one of his most vexatious enemies, and 
as in the case of savage wild beasts, unceasing efforts would 
be made for its utter extermination. 

The sting of a bee often produces very painful, and upon 
some persons, dangerous effects. I am persuaded, from the 
result of my own observation, that the bee seldom stings 



ANGER OF BEES. 413 

those whose systems are not sensitive to its venom, while it 
seems to take a special and malicious pleasure in attacking 
those upon whom its poison produces the most painful 
effects ! It may be that something in the secretions of such 
persons, both provokes the attack, and causes its consequen- 
ces to be more severe, I should not advise those on whom 
the sting of a bee produces the most agonizing pain, and vi- 
olent, if not dangerous symptoms, to devote any attention to 
the practical part of an Apiary, 

I once met with an individual, whose breath, shortly 
after he was stung, had the same odor with the venom 
of the enraged insect ! The smell of the poison resembles 
almost perfectly that of a ripe banana. It produces a very 
irritating effect upon the bees themselves ; for if a minute, 
drop is extended to them, on a stick, they at once manifest 
the most decided anger. This is the reason why after one 
has inflicted a sting, others are so ready to follow suit. 

On one occasion, after being stung several times on the 
back of the same hand, I wet it with honey, and met with 
no further annoyance. I should very much prefer, in my 
own practice, protecting my hands in this way, to using 
gloves which often prove an incumbrance. 

The smell of the poison, like the warning blast of the mar- 
tial trumpet, is a signal to all within reach of its pungent odor, 
to be ready for using their tiny, but much dreaded weapon. 
Bees often thrust out their sting, in a threatening manner, 
even when they do not make an attack ; when extended from 
its sheath, it exhibits a minute drop of poison on its point, the 
odor of which is quickly perceived, and some of it is occa- 
sionally flirted into the eye of the Apiarian, causing consid- 
erable itching. 

It is well known that bees are lovers of sweet odors, and 
that unpleasant ones are very apt to excite their anger. And 
35* 



414 ANGER OF BEES. 

here I may as well speak plainly, and say that they have a 
special dislike to persons whose habits are not neat, and 
particularly to those who bear about them, a perfume not in 
the very least resembling those of which the poet so beauti- 
fully discourses : 

" Sabean odors 
From the spicy shores of Araby the blest." 

Those who belong to the family of the " great unwashed,'* 
will find to their cost that bees are decided foes to most of 
their tribe. 

The peculiar odor of some persons, however cleanly, may 
account for the fact that the bees have such a decided an- 
tipathy to their presence, in the vicinity of their hives. It is 
related of an enthusiastic Apiarian, that after a long and 
severe attack of fever, he was never able to take any more 
pleasure in his bees ; his secretions seem to have undergone 
such a change, that the bees assailed him, as soon as he 
ventured to approach their hives. 

Nothing is more offensive to bees than the impure breath 
exhaled from human lungs ; it e.-^cites them at once to fury. 
Would that in their hatred of impure air, human beings dis- 
played some portion of the sagacity exercised by bees ! li 
would not be long before the thought of breathing air, not 
only deficient in oxygen, but loaded with all manner of im- 
purities from human lungs and skins, would excite unuttera- 
ble loathing and disgust. 

The smell of a sweaty horse is very offensive to bees, 
and it is never safe to allow these animals to go near a hive, 
as they are sometimes attacked and killed by the furious in- 
sects. Those engaged in bee-culture on a large scale, will 
do well to surround their Apiaries with a strong fence, so as 
to prevent cattle from molesting the hives. If the Apiary is 
enclosed by a high fence, with sharp and strong pickets, and 



ANGER OF BEES. 415 

has a door furnished with a strong lock, it will prevent the 
losses which are so common, in some localities, from human 
pilferers. A neighborhood, however, in which the stealing 
of honey and fruit, is practiced by any except those who are 
candidates for the felon's cell, is in a fair way of being 
soon considered as a very undesirable place of residence. 

If owners of Apiaries, gardens and orchards, could be in- 
duced to pursue a more liberal policy, and not be so meanly 
penurious as they often are, I am persuaded that they would 
find it conduce very highly to their interests. The honey 
and fruit expended wiih a cheerful, hearty liberality, would 
be more than repaid to them in the good will secured, and 
in the end would be cheaper than bars and bolts. Reader ! 
do not imagine that I have the least idea that a thoroughly 
selfish man, can ever be made to practice this or any other 
doctrine of benevolence. Demonstrate it again and again, 
until even to his narrow and contracted view, it seems almost 
as clear as light, still he will never find the heart to reduce 
it to practice. You might almost as well expect to trans- 
form an incarnate fiend into an angel of light, by demon- 
strating that " Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness,'* 
as to attempt to stamp upon a heart encrusted with the 
adamant of selfishness, the noble impress of a liberal 
spirit. 

Of all the senses, that of smell in the bee, seems to be 
the most perfect. Huber has demonstrated its exceeding 
acuteness, by numerous interesting experiments. If honey 
is placed in vessels from which the odor can escape, while 
the honey cannot be seen, the bees will soon alight upon 
ihem and eagerly attempt to find an entrance. It is by this 
sense, unquestionably, that they recognize the members of 
their own community, although it seems to us very singular 
that each colony should have its own peculiar scent. Not 



416 ANGER OF BEES. 

only can two colonies be safely united by giving them the 
same odor, but in the same way any number of colonies 
may be made to live in perfect peace. If hundreds of hives 
are all connected by wire gauze ventilators, so that the air 
passes freely from one to another, the bees will all live in 
absolute harmony, and if any bee attempts to enter the 
wrong hive, it will not be molested. The same result can 
often be attained by feeding colonies from a common vessel. 
I have seen hundreds of thousands of bees which had ac- 
quired the same odor, by being fed together, and which 
were always gentle towards each other, while if a single 
bee from a strange Apiary, lit upon the feeder, it was sure 
to be killed. 

I have already described the use which I make of pepper- 
mint, in order to prevent bees from quarreling when 
they are united. The Rev. Mr. Kleine, in a recent number 
of the Bienenzeitung, says that the most convenient and 
effectual mode of arresting and repelling the attacks of rob- 
bers, is, to impart to the attacked hive some intensely pow- 
erful and unaccustomed odor. He effects this most readily, 
by placing in it a small portion of musk^ late in the evening, 
when all the robbers have retreated. On the following 
morning, ihe bees, (provided they have a healthy queen,) 
will promptly and boldly meet their assailants, and these in 
turn are non-plussed by the unwonted odor, and if any of 
them enter the hive and carry off some of the coveted 
booty, they will not be recognized nor received at home on 
their return, on account of their strange smell, but will be at 
once seized as strangers, and killed by their own household. 
Thus the robbing is speedily brought to a close. 

In combination with my blocks, this device might be made 
very effectual. When the Apiarian perceives that a hive is 
being robbed, let him shut up the entrance : before dusk he 



ANGER OF BEES. 417 

can open it and allow the robbers to go home, and then put 
in a small piece of musk ; the entrance next day may 
be kept so contracted that only a single bee can pass at 
once. 

In the union of stocks, musk might be used advantageously. 
A short time before the process is attempted, each colony 
might receive a small dose tied up in a little bag, and they 
would then be sure to agree. I prefer, however, in most 
cases, the use of scented sugar-water. 

From some recent experiments, I am persuaded that bees 
can often recognize strangers, by their actions, even when 
they have the same scent ! It is well known that bees when 
frightened have a certain cowed look, and shrink into the 
smallest possible compass. In the attempt to unite stocks, 
where the bees of one colony are left on their own stand, 
and the others are suddenly introduced, the latter, (even 
when both have the same smell,) are sometimes so fright- 
ened, that they are at once discovered to be strangers, and 
instantly killed. This may be prevented by removing both 
colonies, during the operation, to a new stand, and shaking 
ihem all out together upon a sheet, so that one colony may 
have no advantage over the other. 

By using my double hives, and putting a small piece of 
gauze- wire in the partition, the two colonies having the same 
scent will always agree; this will be very convenient where 
they are compelled to live as such near neighbors, and en- 
ables the Apiarian at any time to unite them, and appropri- 
ate their surplus stores. These double hives are admirably 
adapted to the wants of those who prefer the smallest pos- 
sible departure from the old system, as they need make no 
change, except to unite the stocks in the Fall, instead of 
killing the bees. 

I have already remarked that nothing should ever be done, 



418 ANGER OF BEES. 

which excites a whole colony to a pitch of ungovernable 
fury. Such operations are never necessary ; and a skillful 
Apiarian will, by availing himself of the principles laid 
down in this Treatise, both easily and safely do everything 
required in the whole range of bee-keeping. 

When bees are improperly dealt with, they will " com- 
pass" their assailant "about," with the most savage ferocity, 
and woe be to him if they can creep up his clothes, or find 
on his person a single unprotected spot ! On the contrary, 
when not provoked by foolish management or wanton abuse, 
the few who are bent on mischief, appear still to retain some 
touch of grace, amid all their desperation. Like the thorough 
bred scold, who by the elevated pitch of her voice, often 
gives timely warning to those who would escape from the 
sharp sword of her tongue, a bee bent upon mischief raises 
its note almost an octave above the peaceable pitch, and 
usually gives us timely warning, that it means to sting, if it 
can. Even then, unless the whole colony has been mad- 
dened by accident or injudicious treatment, it will seldom 
proceed to extremities, unless it can leave its sting some- 
where upon the face of its victim, and usually as near as 
possible to the eye ; for bees, like all other members of the 
stinging tribe, seem to have, as it were, an intuitive percep- 
tion that this is the most vulnerable spot upon the " human 
face divine." If the head is quietly lowered, and the face 
covered with the hands, they will often follow a person for 
some rods, all the time sounding their war note in his ears, 
taunting him for his sneaking conduct, and daring him, just 
for one single moment, to look up and allow them to catch 
but a glimpse of his cov^ard face ! 

If a person is suddenly attacked by angry bees, no matter 
how numerous or vindictive they may be, not the slightest 
attempt should ever be made to act on the offensive. If a 



REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 419 

single bee is violently struck at, a dozen will soon be on hand 
to avenge the insult, and if the resistance is still continued, 
hundreds and at last thousands will join in the attack. The 
assailed party should quickly retreat from the vicinity of the 
hives, to the protection of a building, or if none is near, he 
should hide himself in a clump of bushes, and lie perfectly 
still, with his head covered, until the bees leave him. If no 
bushes are near at hand, the bees will generally give over 
the attack, if the assailed party lies flat on the grass, with his 
face to the ground, keeping perfectly quiet. 

Many persons erroneously imagine that they are quite 
safe, if they stand at a considerable distance from the bees, 
when in reality they are often more liable to be stung, than 
those who are prying directly into the hives. If any cross 
bees are about, they will be pretty sure to attack those whose 
more distant position, makes them, to such long-sighted crea- 
tures, so much better a mark than persons v/ho are actually 
touching the hives ! The use of a bee-dress will, in all 
cases, give such a sense of security, as to enable the most 
timid to take pleasure in the management of bees. 

Remedies for the sting of a bee. 

If only a few of the host of cures, so zealously advocated, 
could be made effectual, few persons would have much rea- 
son to dread being stung. Unfortunately, most remedies, 
instead of being of any use, like the prescriptions of the 
quack, only aggravate the original complaint. 

The first thing to be done after being stung, is to pull the 
sting out of the wound as quickly as possible. When torn 
from the body of the bee, the poison bag and all the muscles 
which control the sting, accompany it, and are in such active 
operation, that it penetrates deeper and deeper into the 



420 REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 

flesh, injecting continually more and nnore of its poison 
into the wound. Every Apiarian, (unless he wears a bee- 
dress,) should have about his person, a small piece of 
looking-glass, so that he may be able v^ith the least possible 
delay, to find and remove a sting. In most cases, if extracted 
at once, it will produce no serious consequences ; whereas if 
suffered to empty all its vials of wrath, it may cause great in- 
flammation and severe suffering. After the sting is removed, 
the utmost possible care should be taken, not to irritate the 
wound by the very slightest rubbing. However intense the 
smarting, and of course the disposition to apply friction to 
the wound, it should never be done, as the poison will at 
once be carried through the circulating system, and severe 
swelling may ensue. As most of the popular remedies are 
rubbed in, they are of course worse than nothing. The mo- 
ment that the blood is put into a violent and unnatural cir- 
culation, the poison is quickly diffused over a considerable 
part of the system. On the same principle, the bite of a 
mosquito, even after the lapse of several days, may, by 
strong friction, be made to swell again. 

Mr. Wagner says, " The juice of the ripe berry of the 
common coral honeysuckle {Lonicera Caprifolium) is the 
best remedy I have ever used for the sting of bees, wasps, 
hornets, &c. The berries or expressed juice may be pre- 
served in a bottle well closed, and will keep their efficacy 
more than a year." 

Common sticking plaster, moistened with spittle and ap- 
plied with the least possible pressure, after the sting has 
been removed, has been found with some an effectual 
remedy. 

The milky juice of the white poppy, is also highly re- 
commended. An old German writer states, that its applica- 
tion will instantaneously allay the pain and prevent swelling. 



REMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 421 

Others recommend the juice of tobacco, as the sovereign 
panacea for bee-stings. Unquestionably, relief has been 
found, by different persons, from each and all of these reme- 
dies, and there is no good reason to conclude, that the same 
remedy will in all cases answer, for the poison of the bee, 
any more than that the same medicine will cure all persons 
affected with a common disease. 

If the mouth is applied to the wound, very unpleasant 
consequences may ensue. While the poison of venemous 
snakes and many other noxious animals, affecting only the 
circulating system, may be swallowed with entire impunity, 
the poison of the bee acts with equal power, on the organs of 
digestiouo The most distressing headaches are often pro- 
duced by it. 

From my own experience, I recommend cold water as the 
very best remedy with which I am acquainted, for a bee- 
sting. It is often applied in the shape of a plaster of mud, 
but may be better used by wetting cloths and holding them 
gently to the wound. The poison of the bee being VQry 
volatile, is quickly dissolved in water ; and the coldness of 
the water has also a powerful tendency to check inflamma- 
tion, and to prevent the virus from being taken up by the 
absorbents and carried through the system. The leaves of 
the plantain, crushed and applied to the wound, will answer 
as a very good substitute when water cannot at once be prO" 
cured. Bevan recommends the use of spirits of hartshorn, 
applied to the wound, and says that in cases of severe sting- 
ing its internal use is beneficial. 

Whatever remedy is applied, should be used if possible, 
without a moment'^s delay. The immediate extraction of the 
sting, will alone prove much more efficacious, than any rem- 
edy that can be applied, after it has been allowed to remain 
and discharge all its venom into the wound, 
36 



422 KEMEDIES FOR THE STING OF A BEE. 

It may be some comfort to those who desire to keep bees, 
to know that after a while the poison will produce less and 
less effect upon their system. When I first became inter- 
ested in bees, a siing was quite a formidable thing, the pain 
being often very intense, and the wound swelling so as 
sometimes to obstruct my sight. At present, the pain is 
usually slight, and if the sting is quickly extracted, no un- 
pleasant consequences ensue, even if no remedies are used. 
Huish speaks of seeing the bald head of Bonner, a celebra- 
ted practical Apiarian, lined with bee stings which seemed 
to produce upon him no unpleasant effects. Old bee-keep- 
ers, like Mithridates, king of Pontus, appear almost to thrive 
•upon poison itself. The Rev. Mr. Kleine advocates a truly 
heroic remedy, advising beginners to suffer themselves to be 
stung so frequently, as to accustom their systems to the effect 
of the poison ! He assures them that two seasons will be 
sufficient to accomplish this, as any one who tries it in 
earnest, may readily ascertain. 

I have met with a highly amusing remedy, very gravely 
propounded by an old English Apiarian. I mention it more 
as a matter of curiosity, than because I imagine that many 
of my readers will be likely to make trial of it. He says, 
let the person who has been stung, catch as speedily as pos- 
sible, another bee, and make it sting on the same spot! It 
requires some courage, even in an enthusiastic disciple of 
Huber, to venture upon such a singular homeopathic rem- 
edy ; but as this old writer had previously stated, what I had 
verified in my own experience, that the oftener a person 
was stung, the less he suffered from the venom, I determined 
to make trial of his prescription. Allowing a sting to re- 
main until it had discharged all its venom, I compelled 
another bee to insert its sting, as near as possible, in the 
same spot. I used no remedies of any kind, and had the 



BEE-DRESS. 42S 

satisfaction, in my zeal for new discoveries, of suffering 
more from the pain and swelling, than I had previously done 
for years. 

An old writer recommends a powder of dried bees, for 
distressing cases of stoppages ; and some of the highest 
medical authorities have recently prescribed for violent stran- 
gury, a tea made by pouring boiling water upon bees ; 
while the homeopathic physicians employ the poison of the 
bee, which they call apis, for a great variety of maladies. 
That it is capable of producing intense head-aches any 
one who has been stung, or who has tasted the poison, very 
well knows. 

Timid Apiarians, and all who are liable to suffer severely 
from the sting of a bee, should by all means furnish them- 
selves with the protection of a bee-dress. The great objec- 
tion to gauze-wire veils or other materials of which such a 
dress has been usually made, is that they obstruct clear vision, 
so ijighly important in all operations, besides producing such 
excessive heat and perspiration, as to make the Apiarian 
peculiarly offensive to the bees. I prefer to use what I call 
a bee-hat, of entirely novel construction. It is made of wire 
cloth, the meshes of which are too fine to admit a bee, but 
coarse enough to allow a free circulation of air, and to per- 
mit distinct sight. The wire cloth should be first fastened to- 
gether in a circular shape, like a hat, and made large enough 
to go very easily over the head ; its top may be of cotton 
cloth, and it should have the same material fastened around its 
lower edge. If the top is made of sole-leather, it will serve 
a better purpose. A piece of wire cloth one foot wide, by 
two and a half feet long, will make a good fit for most per- 
sons ; although persons with noses or necks unusually long,^, 
will require a larger size. It ought slightly to rest upon the. 
crown of the head. A drawing of it is given in the plate 



424 INSTINCTS OF BEES. 

of implements.* Leather gloves may then be drawn over 
the hands, or better still, India Rubber gloves, such as are 
now in very common use, may be worn ; these gloves are 
impenetrable to the sting of a bee, and yet do not very ma- 
terially interfere vi^ith the operations of the Apiarian. As 
soon, however, as the bee-keeper acquires confidence and 
skill, he will much prefer to use nothing but the bee-hat, 
even at the expense of an occasional sting on his hands. 

I strongly object to the use of woolen gloves or stockings, 
as every thing rough or hairy, has an extremely irritating in- 
fluence upon bees. This is probably owing to the fact, that 
in a state of nature, bears, foxes, and other hairy animals,, 
are their principal enemies. No sooner do they feel the 
touch of anything rough or hairy, than they instinctively 
dart out their stings. 

Instincts of Bees. 

The attentive reader cannot have failed to notice, the nu- 
merous proofs which have been given in the preceding parts 
of this work, of the refined instincts of the honey-bee. It 
is impossible always to draw the line between instinct and 
reason, and very often, some of the actions of animals and 
insects appear to be the results of a process of reasoning, 
apparently almost the same with the exercise of the reason- 
ing faculty in man. " There is this difference," says Mr. 
Spence, " between intellect in man, and the rest of the 
animal creation. Their intellect teaches them to follow 
the lead of their senses, and to make such use of the exter- 

* When this hat, which is rapidly coming into fashion among bee- 
keepers, is put on, and the cape carefully tucked under the coat, which 
should then be buttoned up, the Apiarian may operate upon his bees., 
without any risk of being stung, except on his hands. 



INSTINCTS OF BEES. 425 

nal world as their appetites or instincts incline them to, 
and this is their wisdom : while the intellect of man, being 
associated with an immortal principle, and connected with a 
world above that which his senses reveal to him, can, by aid 
derived from Heaven, control these senses, and render them 
obedient to the governing power of his nature ; and this is^ 
his wisdom.'''^ 

The point of distinction between man and the lower orders-' 
of creation, has seldom been more happily expressed than' 
by Mr. Spence ; it is not that man reasons and they do not,, 
but that, being " made in the image of God," he has a moral 
and accountable nature, while they have nothing of the kind. 

" It will be evident," says Bevan, " that though I make a 
distinction between the instinct and the reason of bees, I do 
not confound their reason with the reason of man. But to 
obviate all possibility of misconception, I will at once de- 
fine my meaning, when I use the terms insect reason and 
instinct. 

" By reaso7i, I mean the power of making deductions frona 
previous experience or observation, and thereby of adapting 
means to ends. Instinct^l regard as a disposition and power 
to perform certain actions in the same uniform manner, de- 
pending upon nice mechanism and having no reference either 
to observation or experience ; operating on the means, without 
anticipation of the end, incited by no hope, controlled by no 
foreboding. Those who have attended to this subject, will 
be aware that insect reason, as above defined, is more re- 
stricted in its functions than the reason of man ; to which 
is superadded the power of distinguishing between the true 
and the false, and, according to some metaphysicians, be- 
tween right and wrong. Reason, in man, has a regular 
growth and a slow progression ; all the arts he practices 
evince skill and dexterity, proportioned to the pains which 
36* 



426 INSTINCTS OP BEES. 

have been taken in acquiring them. In the lower links of 
creation, but little of this gradual improvement is observable ; 
their powers carry them almost directly to their object. 
They are perfect, as Bacon says, in all their members and 
organs from the very beginning." 

'^ Far difierent Man, to higher fates assign'd, 
Unfolds with tardier step his Proteus mind, 
With numerous Instincts fraught, that lose their force 
Like shallow streams, divided in their course ; 
Long weak, and helpless, on the fostering breast, 
In fond dependence leans the infant guest. 
Till reason ripens what young impulse taught, 
And builds, on sense, the lofty pile of thought ; 
From earth, sea, air, the quick perceptions rise, 
And swell the mental fabric to the skies." 

Evans. 

" There are facts," says Bevan, " recorded in the younger 
Ruber's researches respecting the Amazon x\nts, which ex- 
hibit a power of acquiring habits and characters which can- 
not well be regarded as merely instinctive. The Amazons, 
to relieve themselves from labor, enslave, by a coup de main, 
a feeble colony of ants of another species, and transporting 
them to their own domicile, impose upon the captives, the 
task of collecting provisions, rearing the young, repairing 
their habitation, besides other labors of the formicary." 

" Dr. Darvin," (I quote again from Bevan,) '"^ in his Zoo- 
nomia, relates an anecdote of apparent reasoning in a wasp, 
which had caught a fly nearly as large as itself. Kneeling 
down, he saw the wasp dissever the head and tail from the 
trunk of the fly, and attempt to soar with the latter ; but 
finding, when about two feet from the ground, that the wings 
of the fly carried too much sail, causing its prize and itself 
to be whirled about, by a little breeze that had arisen, it 
dropped upon the ground with its prey, and sawed off with 
its mandibles, first one wing and then another ; having thus 
removed these impediments, the wasp flew away with its 



INSTINCTS OP BEES. 42T 

booty, and experienced no further molestation from the 
wind." 

" A German artist of strict veracity, slates, that in his 
journey through Italy, he was an eye witness to the follow- 
ing occurrence. He observed a species of Scarabmus busily 
engaged in making, for the reception of its egg, a pellet of 
dung, which when finished, the insect rolled to the summit 
of a hillock, and repeatedly suffered it to tumble down the 
slope, apparently for the purpose of consolidating the pellet, 
by the adhesion of earth to it in its rotating motion. During 
this process, the pellet unluckily fell into a hole, out of 
which the beetle was unable to extract it. After several 
ineffectual attempts, the insect went to an adjoining heap of 
dung, and soon returned with three companions. All four 
applied their united strength to the pellet, and at length suc- 
ceeded in pushing it out, when the three assistant beetles left 
the spot, and returned to their own quarters." (Kirby and 
Spence.) 

In one of my observing hives, admitting of only a single 
comb, I once fastened a piece of comb, on the bottom instead 
of the top, to serve as a guide for the bees. In carrying up 
this comb towards the roof of the hive, the bees soon became 
aware of a serious difficulty resulting from its unusual po- 
sition. In building combs downwards, (which they in- 
variably do, unless in some way prevented,) as their works 
hang plumb, to secure them against the risk of falling, they 
have only to make their attachments sufficiently firm ; but in 
building upwards, it is next to impossible to prevent a new 
comb, heavy with honey, bees, brood and pollen, and soft- 
ened by the animal heat of the workers, from losing its per- 
pendicular position, and falling against the sides of the hive. 
To guard against such a catastrophe, my bees in enlarging 



428 INSTINCTS OF BEES. 

their works, speedily begun to run out waxen braces from 
the comb to each side of the glass, and by continuing this 
device until they could make an attachment to the roof, they 
met with no mishap. The work when completed presented a 
curious specimen of wise adaptation of means to a special 
end. The most of those braces were subsequently removed. 
Could our most skillful master-builders contrive, under similar 
circumstances, a better mode of procedure .? 

I shall finish what I have to say on this subject by narrat- 
ing an instance of sagacity which seems to approach as near 
to human reason, as any thing in the bee which has ever 
fallen under my notice. I once placed a swarm of bees, 
temporarily into a small model hive, which I had constructed 
to test the feasibility of some new plans for facilitating the 
storing of surplus honey in small tumblers. The bees soon 
filled the hive, and stored about a dozen glasses with honey. 
I was called away from them, for a few days, and was much 
surprised, on my return, to find that the honey which had 
been stored in the hive and sealed for Winter use, was all gone, 
and that the cells which had contained it, were filled with 
eggs and young worms ! The hive stood in a covered bee 
house, and the bees had built a large quantity of comb on 
the outside of the hive, into which they had transferred the 
honey taken from the interior. This very laborious and un- 
usual procedure, was manifestly adopted to give the poor 
queen a place luithin the hive, for laying her eggs : for this 
purpose they deliberately uncapped and emptied all the cells 
so carefully sealed over, instead of using the new comb on 
the outside, for the brood. 

♦' Shall then proud sophists, arrogant and vain, 
Spurn all the wonders of the honey'd reign, 
And bid alike one mindless influence own 
The social bee and crystalizing stone ? 



SIZE OF HIVES. 429 

Each link they trace in animations round, 
Dashes their poison'd chalice to the ground. 
Deem not, vain mortal, that reserved for thee 
Hangs all the ripening fruit on Reason's tree ; 
E'en bees, the tiniest tenants of thy care, 
Claim of that Reason their apportioned share." 

Evans. 



CHAPTER XX. 

On the proper size, shape, and materials for Hives — Observing Hives. 

Notwithstanding all the experiments which have been 
made, and the volumes written, to determine the best size, 
shape and materials for bee-hives, the ablest practical Apia- 
rians, are still at variance on these points. In our country, 
it is pretty generally agreed, that hives holding less than a 
bushel, in the main apartment, are not profitable, in the 
long run, although those having the capacity of a cubic foot, 
may, for the first season, yield a greater return of surplus 
honey. As regards the room which a colony will need, for 
the storage of spare honey, so much depends on seasons and 
localities, and on whether the bees swarm or not, that no 
general rule can be given, that will be applicable to all 
cases. The present season (1856) has been, with me, so 
extraordinary for its superabundant yield of honey, that I 
have found non-swarming colonies, able to occupy, to good 
advantage, two bushels of surplus storage room. As the con* 
struction of all my hives, admits of their being enlarged and 
again contracted, without any destruction or alteration of 



430 SHAPE OF HIVES. 

existing parts, the size of the main apartment, as well as the 
space for surplus stores, may be varied to suit the necessities 
of every bee-keeper. 

Being able to remove any surplus, at pleasure, I prefer to 
make the interior of my hives considerably larger than a 
bushel. Many hives are so small, that they would not con- 
tain one-quarter the bees, comb and honey, which, in a good 
season, may be found in my large hives ; while their owners 
wonder that they are able to obtain so little profit from their 
bees. A good swarm of bees, put, in a good season, into 
such a diminutive hive, may be compared to a powerful 
team of horses, harnessed to a baby wagon, or a noble fall 
of water, wasted in turning a petty water-wheel. (See pp. 
231-2-3.) 

Hives may be divided, as respects their shape, into Tall, 
Low and Broad, and Long and Broad, A hive tall, in pro- 
portion to its other dimensions, has some very obvious advan- 
tages. As bees are disposed to carry their stores as far as pos- 
sible from the entrance, they will fill the upper part of such 
hives with honey, and use nearly all the lower part for brood ; 
thus escaping the danger of being caught, in cold weather, 
among empty ranges of comb, while they still have honey un- 
consumed. If the top of this hive, like that of an old- 
fashioned churn, is made, (on the Polish plan,) considerably 
smaller than the bottom, it will be still better adapted to a 
cold climate, besides being more secure against high winds. 
Such a hive is evidently deficient in top surface, for the pro- 
per storing of surplus honey in boxes, and it would be im- 
possible to use my frames in it, to any advantage ; but to 
those who prefer to keep bees on the old plan, I recommend 
this shape, made to hold not less than a bushel and a half, 
as decidedly the best. 



SHAPE OF HIVES. 431 

It is instructive to see how the very first departure from 
the olden v^ay, proves the truth, in bee-culture at least, of 
the hackneyed quotation, 

" A little learning is a dangerous thing ; 
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring." 

Even so simple an improvement as the use of top boxes, will, 
in the hands of most bee-keepers, eventually cause the ruin 
of their Apiaries. Taking it for granted, that bees will 
never fill these boxes, until their main hive is well provis- 
ioned, in years when the latter part of the season is very 
unfavorable, they often remove the honey which is absolutely 
essential to the life of their bees. Although the owner of 
a patent hive, I would again and again endeavor to impress 
upon all who cannot or will not study the habits of bees, 
the wisdom of confining themselves to the simple box. 
If they are too humane to destroy their bees, let them subdue 
them, by the use of smoke, and cut out from the hives what 
honey they can spare. 

It would seem from Aristotle that in his time hives were 
thus deprived of their surplus stores.* Killing bees for their 
honey, was one of the appropriate inventions of the dark 
ages, when the human family had lost, in Apiarian pursuits, 
as well as in other things, the skill and knowledge of the 
past. 

The very low and broad square hive, has the least to re- 
commend it ; it gives, to be sure, a larger amount of top 
surface, in proportion to its internal capacity, than any other 
shape, but it necessarily prevents the bees from concentrating 
their heat to the best advantage, and is of all other forms the 

* Aristotle says that when smoked for this purpose, " they are greatly 
disturbed, and completely gorge themselves with honey !" He did 
not, however, notice the connection between this cramming and their 
subsequent docility. 



432 SHAPE OF HIVES. 

worst for winter use. In very warm countries, it might, 
however, be used to considerable advantage. 

A hive long from front to rear^ and moderately low and 
narrow, seems, on the whole, to unite the most advantages. 
I am indebted to Mr. M. Quinby, of St. Johnsville, New 
York, for some valuable suggestions as to the peculiar ad- 
vantages he has derived from hives of this form. He thinks, 
from his experience, that bees will winter as well in them, 
as in the tall hives ; giving as a reason, that when the combs 
are built from front to rear, the brood is kept near the en- 
trance and the honey stored in the back end of the hive. In 
Winter the bees, receding from the entrance, must draw 
back among their stores ; just as they draw up among them, 
when, in the tall hives, they ascend to the top. 

Such a hive, indeed, resembles a tall one, laid upon its 
side, and while affording ample top surface for storing surplus 
honey, it also facilitates very greatly the easy handling of 
frames, besides diminishing their number, and the cost of their 
construction. 

I recommend that hives constructed in this way, be, in the 
clear, at least twenty-four inches from front to rear ; twelve 
from side to side ; and ten in height. There should be eight 
frames, running from front to rear, each having a partition 
so adjusted, that the bees may pass from one comb to 
another, without being chilled in winter. If this division 
strip is made so as to allow about two-thirds of the frame for 
breeding, the back part will usually contain pure honey, 
which may at any time be cut out, without at all mutilating 
the brood comb. 

I have a hive of this pattern in operation, and thus far am 
so highly pleased with it, that I anticipate a decided gain 
from its use, over any other mode of construction. If this 
style of hives is adopted, I should always recommend that they 



MATERIALS OF HIVES. 433 

be built for two colonies, so as to economize to the very 
utmost, the cost of construction and labor of superintend- 
ance, while at the same time they occupy the least space in 
the Apiary, and afford the largest amount of protection to 
the bees. 

The common Dzierzon-hive is long and >flat, but as the 
combs run from side to side, instead of from front to rear, 
the bees, unless the hive is uncommonly well protected, will 
suffer from cold, in winter. As the German Apiarian uses 
slats, instead of frames, it would be difficult for him safely 
to remove any very long combs from his hive. As a gen- 
eral rule, the fewer the number of combs in a hive, the 
straighter will they be built by the bees. 

The variety of opinions respecting the best materials for 
hives, has been almost as great, as on the subject of their 
proper size and shape. Virgil recommends the hollowed 
trunk of the cork tree, than which, no material would be more 
admirable, if it could only be easily and cheaply procuredc 
Straw hives have been used for ages, and are warm in 
Winter and cool in Summer. The difficulty of making 
them take and retain the proper shape for improved bee- 
keeping, is an insuperable objection to their use. Hives 
made of wood, are, at the present time, fast superseding all 
other kinds. The lighter and more spongy the wood^ the 
poorer will be its power of conducting heat, and the warmer 
the hive in Winter, and the cooler in Summer. Cedar, basS' 
wood, poplar, tulip-tree, and soft pine, afford excellent ma- 
terials for bee-hives. The Apiarian must be governed, in 
his choice of lumber, by the ease and cheapness with which 
any suitable kind, can be obtained, in his own immediate 
vicinity. 

A very serious disadvantage attaching to all kinds of 
v/ooden hives, is the ease with which they condiict heal, 
37 



434 MATERIALS FOR HIVES. 

causing them to become cold and damp in Winter, and, if 
exposed to the sun, so hot in Summer as often to melt the 
combs. The Winter inconveniences are greatly increased, 
if the hives are vi^ell painted, while if this is neglected, they 
cannot be exposed to sun or weather, without serious injury. 

I have hitherto protected my hives, by making them of 
doubled wood or glass, so as to secure the advantages of a 
dead air space, and this in connection with another plan, 
partly original and partly the result of the experience of 
others, will, I am persuaded, give all ihe advantages both of 
straw and wood, without any of the inconveniences of 
either. In all hives, the bees will in chilly weather, avoid 
traveling over the cold sides, as they pass in and out ; 
but they cannot escape contact with the bottom-board, and if 
the part projecting outside of the hive is painted, its surface 
will be too smooth for secure footing, besides being often, in 
cool weather, wet with condensed moisture, so as to prove 
exceedingly disagreeable to the bees. If the bottom- 
board is covered with heavy straw matting, which may be 
bought for about three cents per square foot, and this is 
tacked on, (with its finished edge outside,) so as to cover the 
alighting-hoard, the bees will find themselves, to all intents 
and purposes, in a straw hive. I should advise protecting 
the inside front of the hives, in the same way, rather than 
with the dead air space, as bees, in all working weather, are 
inclined to travel over this surface, if it is not too cool. Be- 
fore nailing down the matting, it will be very desirable to 
place under it, five or six thicknesses of common straw 
wrapping paper, which, at next to no expense, will make it, 
almost if not quite, as warm again. That part of the mat- 
ling, which lines the interior of the hives, should now be 
covered with a melted mixiure,* one-third rosin and two- 

* Straw-paper tlms covered, might perhaps do as well as matting. 



MATERIALS FOR HIVES. 435 

thirds bees-wax, applied, when quite hot, with a common 
shoe-brush; this will make it air-tight, by filling up all the 
crevices, and will prevent the straws from separating, or ab- 
sorbing moisture. The wpi^er * surfa.ce of the spare honey- 
board, may be fixed in the same way, and reversed in Win- 
ter, so as to present the straw side to the bees. When the 
bees are put into Winter quarters, most of the holes in this 
board, may, in hives thus thoroughly protected, be left open, 
and when it is covered loosely with straw, all excess of damp- 
ness in the main hive, will pass off" into the top cover, from 
which it cannot possibly return, to annoy the bees. As soon as 
the bees begin to fly out, in the Spring, these holes should be 
carefully closed. If the spare honey-board is not covered 
with matting, it may have, for Winter use, the space between 
the clamps filled with straw, battened down, and may then 
be reversed and set on the hive. 

I am aware that hives cannot be protected in this way, 
without some extra expense, but no judicious bee-keeper 
who once tries them, will ever be willing to return to the 
common kind. If by using such extra protection, his colo- 
nies, in the Spring, are only a week in advance f of those 
in common hives, he will, in all ordinary seasons, be repaid 
the extra cost, two or three times over. 

I would here remark, that in order to make the movable- 
comb hives to the best advantage, it is absolutely necessary 

*If the under surface is covered with the matting, the bees will be 
much more likely to fill the shallow chamber between it and the 
frames, with combs, thus making it more inconvenient to open the 
hives. 

f " Only those swarms which came from the 1st to the 6th of June, 
1853, gathered sufficient stores for ihe ensuing Winter. In this por- 
tion of the Palatinate, the diiference between abundance and scarcity 
often depends on a very few days." (Werntz, Beinenzeitung, 1854.) 



436 MATERIALS FOR HIVES. 

that the frames at least should be cut out by a circular saw^ 
driven by steam, water or horse power. In buildings where 
such saws are used, these frames may be made from small 
pieces of lumber, which would seldom be of any use, except 
for fuel. They may be packed almost solid in a box, or in 
a hive which will afterwards serve for a pattern or a swarm. 
One frame in such a box, properly nailed together, will serve 
as a guide for the rest. The other parts of the hive can 
easily and cheaply be made by any one who can handle 
tools at all, and can never be profitably manufactured to be 
sent to any considerable distance, unless a large number are 
made at once where lumber is cheap, and the parts closely 
packed, to be put together after reaching their destination. 
Complete working drawings, with clear and full directions, 
will be furnished to purchasers, for making to the best ad- 
vantage, by hand or machinery, every part of the hive. 

The following recipe for a cheap and durable paint, is 
taken from the Bienenzeitung ; it is said to be preferable on 
every account to ordinary oil paint : " Two parts, by meas- 
ure, of fine sand, well sifted : one of best English cement :* 
one of curd from which the whey has been well expressed : 
one of buttermilk. These are to be thoroughly mixed. The 
paint is to be applied, amid repeated stirring, to the hives, by 
means of a common paint-brush. A second coat is to be 
given after the lapse of half an hour. When this has 
become thoroughly dry, which will be in two or three days, 
it iiS to be brushed over lightly with a thin coat of boiled lin- 
seed oil, to which any desirable color may be given. The 
boards to which the paint is to be applied should not be 
planed, but remain rough as the saw leaves them. No more 
of the paint should be prepared at any one time, than can be 

* Roman, or comraon Hydraulic cement, I presume is meant, oj 
would answer. 



OBSERVING HIVES. 437 

used in the course of half an hour, as it speedily hardens. 
The hive may be used for a swarm of bees as soon as the 
paint stiffens." 

MoVABLE-CoMB OBSERVING HiVES. 

Those who wish to study the Natural History of the 
honey-bee, to the best advantage, or to witness its wonderful 
works and instincts, will find extraordinary facilities for the 
most reliable investigations and examinations, furnished 
through the use of my observing hives. Each comb in these 
hives, as well as in all my others, being attached to a movable 
frame, admits of safe and easy removal. In this respect its 
construction differs entirely from that of all other observing 
hives. As both sides of every comb, in observing hives, 
admit of inspection, every bee can be seen, and all the won- 
ders of the bee-hive may be exposed, not only to the full 
light of day, (p. 24,) but to the brightest glare of lamps or 
gas. 

When bees are first put into such a hive and exposed to 
the light, they exhibit great uneasiness, making every effort 
to pass through the glass sides. This is all very natural, as 
in their wild state, having no knowledge of a transparent 
substance, the admission of light is equivalent to the admis- 
sion of undue heat, cold and wet, all of which would be 
utterly destructive to their welfare.* They soon, however, 
become accustomed to the new order of things, and will then 
no more attempt to get through the glass sides of their hive, 
than an old denizen of Broadway or Chestnut Street, on one 
of those fashionable promenades, would mistake a plate-glass 
window, for a door. 

* Some have imagined that darkness is necessary for the proper de- 
velopment of their young ; but this is found to be a mistake. • 

37* 



488 OBSERVING HIVES. 

In the common observing hive, experiments are conducted 
with great difficulty, and only by experts who are able to cut 
away parts of the comb, whereas in this, they can be per- 
formed by the simple removal of a frame ; and if a colony 
becomes too much reduced in numbers, it may be recruited, 
in a few minutes, by helping it to maturing brood, from one 
of the other hives. 

A very intelligent writer, in a description of the different 
hives exhibited at the World's Fair, in London, laments that 
no method has yet been devised to enable bees to cluster in 
cold weather, in an observing hive, so as to preserve them 
alive in Winter, even in the moderate climate of Great 
Britain. By the use of movable frames, this difficulty can 
be entirely obviated, as on the approach of cold weather, 
the Apiarian may transfer his bees from a hive unsuitable for 
winter use, to one of the warmest construction ; and as soon 
as the weather, next season, is sufficiently auspicious, they 
may again be installed in a glass palace. 

These observing hives may be constructed of sufficient 
size to accommodate a full swarm. I do not, however, 
prefer such a hive for ordinary purposes, but one holding 
only a single frame, and which while it affords great gratifi- 
cation to the curious, admits of easy control, and requires 
only a few bees to be diverted from the more profitable 
business of making honey in the common hives. 

A hive of this form may be called a Parlor-Observing 
Hive, and may be conveniently placed in any room in the 
house ; the alighting board being outside, and the whole 
arrangement such that the bees may be inspected at all hours, 
day or night, without the slightest risk of being stung. Two 
such hives may be placed before one window, and put up or 
taken down in a few minutes, without cutting or defacing 
the wood- work of the house. In one, the queen may al- 



OBSERVING HIVES. 439 

ways be shown, and in the other the process of rearing 
young queens, from worker-eggs. These miniature hives 
may be stocked by putting into them a comb containing eggs 
and hatching workers, taken with all the bees adhering to it, 
from any movable-comb hive ;* or a small after swarm may 
be hived in them. If the bees are brought from a distance, 
they need not be confined. Gardners having the movable- 
comb hives, might supply their patrons with observing hives, 
with profit to themselves, and great satisfaction to those who 
employ them. 

An observing hive, where there is a family of children, 
will prove an unfailing source of pleasure and instruction ; 
and those who live in crowded cities, may enjoy it to the 
full, even if condemned to the penance of what the poet 
has so feelingly described as an " endless meal of brick." 
The nimble wings of these agile gatherers, will quickly 
waft them above and beyond " the smoky chim.ney pots," 
and they will bear back to their city homes, the balmy spoils 
of many a rustic flower, " blushing unseen," in simple yet 
bewitching loveliness. Might not their pleasant murmurings 
awaken in some the memory of long forgotten joys, when 
the happy country-child, listened to their soothing music, 
while intently watching them in that old homestead garden, 
as they bore to their hives the many colored pellets on their 
burnished thighs ; or roved with them amid pastures and hill- 
sides all redolent with the sweetest clover, gathering the 
flowers still rejoicing in their " meadow-sweet breath," or 
whispering of the precious perfumes of their forest home. 

" To me more dear, congenial to my heart, 
One native charm than all the gloss of art ^ 
Spontaneous joys, where nature has its play, 
The soul adopts and owns their first-born sway • 
Lightly they frolic o'er the vacant mind, 

* See directions for forming a nucleus, p. 216. 



440 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

Unenvied, unmolested, unconfined. 
But the long pomp, the midnight masquerade, 
With all the freaks of wanton wealth array'd, 
In these, ere triflers half their wish obtain, 
The toilsome pleasure sickens into pain ; 
And, e'en while fashion's brightest arts decoy, 
The heart distrusting asks, if this be joy." 



CHAPTER XXI. 

The Italian Honey-Bee, 

Aristotle, who flourished over 2200 years ago, speaks 
of three difFerent species of the honey-bee, as well known in 
his time. The lest variety he describes as " fiixgu^ grgoyyvl^] 
xai TtoLKilri ;" that is, small and round as to size and 
shape, and variegated as to color. 

Virgil, in his 4th book of Georgies, speaks of two kinds 
as flourishing in his time 5 the better of the two he thus 
describes : 

" Elucent aliae, et fulgore coruscant, 
Ardentes auro, et paribus lita corpora guttis. 
Hinc potior soboles ; hinc-coeli tempore certo 
Dulcia mella premes." 

The better variety, it will be seen, he characterizes as spot- 
ted or variegated, and of a beautiful golden color. 

Until quite recently, Apiarians have believed Virgil's 
description of the different kind of bees, to be quite as 
fabulous as his notions that the bees gathered iheir young 
from the leaves and flowers; but let us laugh as we will, at 
his physiological conceits, in such practical matters as came 
under his observation, he has left us rules upon which we 
cannot well improve. Strange to say, within a few years, 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 441 

the attention of bee-keepers has been called, to the very 
variety of the honey-bee described by Aristotle and Virgil ; 
and after the lapse of more than 2200 years, it is still found 
to exist, distinct and pure from the common kind, and to be 
as much superior to it, as a Durham ox, to one of the poorest 
breeds. The following letter from Mr. Wagner will show 
the importance attached to this species by some of the most 
skillful and successful Apiarians in Europe. 

York, Pa., August 5, 1856. 
My Dear Sir: 

The first account we have of the Italian bees, 
as a distinct race or variety, is that given by Capt. Balden- 
stein in the Bienenzeitung, No. 4, 1848. Being stationed in 
Italy, during part of the Napoleonic wars, he noticed that 
the bees, in the Lombardo-Venitian, district of Valtelin, and 
on the borders of Lake Como, differed in color from the 
common kind, and seemed to be more industrious. At the 
close of the war, he retired from the army, and returned to 
his ancestral castle on the Rhoetian Alps, in Switzerland ; 
and to occupy his leisure, had recourse to bee-culture, which 
had been his favorite hobby in earlier years. While study- 
ing the natural history, habits and instincts of these insects, 
he remembered what he had observed in Italy, and resolved 
to procure a colony from that country. Accordingly he sent 
two men thither, who purchased one and carried it over the 
mountain, to his residence, in September, 1843. About the 
same time, he became a subscriber to and correspondent of 
the Bienenzeitung, and speedily took a lively interest in the 
discussions then carried on in that Journal, respecting the 
impregnation of the queen, the sex and design of the drones, 
the age to which the queen and the workers respectively 
attain, &c., &c. This induced him to communicate to the 



442 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

Bienenzeltung his observations on the Italian bees, with some 
suggestions as to the manner in which they might be em- 
ployed to determine some of the points in dispute. His 
communication did not, at the time attract the attention it 
deserved, though it led Dzierzon to inquire v/hether the cells 
and combs built by the Italian bees differed in any respect 
from those constructed by the common kind. Baldenstein 
replied that there was no perceptible difference ; that he had 
frequently interchanged the combs, and never noticed that it 
caused any difficulty in either case, the cells of both being 
apparently of the same diameter and depth. 

The controversy concerning the above-mentioned points 
continued to be waged with unabated ardor, and the ablest 
Apiarians of Germany engaged in it pro or con, without ar- 
riving at any satisfactory results ; at least, not any in which 
all felt willing to concur. In this state of affairs, Baldenstein 
sent another communication to the Bienenzeitung, (No. 11, 
1851,) in which he adverts to his previous article, and ex- 
presses the opinion that no mode of determining those im- 
portant questions, could be so practicable and reliable as the 
employment of the Italian bee for that purpose. He then 
states that for seven years he had possessed one colony, 
and only one, of the genuine Italian stock, which had with 
great difficulty, or rather by a fortunate chance, been pre- 
served pure among a large number of bastard and common 
colonies. In all that time, he had not, despite of every pre- 
caution he could use, succeeded in keeping his young Italian 
queens from mesalliance with common drones, and conse- 
quently producing a bastard progeny. 

His Italian colony retained, till May, 1847, the old queen 
which had been imported from Italy. She was then at least 
four years old, and had never failed to produce genuine Ital- 
ian brood. In May, 1847, the colony began to show signs 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 44i 

of weakness, but suddenly recovered in the following month ; 
and it was evident that it had supplied itself w^ith a new 
queen, which had fortunately been impregnated by an Italian 
drone, as she produced genuine or pure brood. On the 15th 
of May, 1848, this queen issued with a swarm, and he hoped 
that, as he had placed the parent hive in a rather isolated 
location, her successor would be impregnated by an Italian 
drone. But in this he was doomed to disappointment ; she 
produced a bastard progeny, while the emigrant queen pro- 
duced genuine brood, as before. Similar disappointments 
aw^aited him from year to year, till the date of his second 
communication, (June, 1851,) when he possessed still only 
one colony of the pure stock. 

Among the points which he considered as definitely es- 
tablished by his observations on the Italian bee, are the 
follov/ing : 

1. The queen, if healthy, retains her proper fertility at 
least three or four years. 

2. The Italian bee is more industrious, and the queen more 
prolific than the common kind ; because, in a most unfavor- 
able year, when other colonies produced few swarms, and 
little honey, his Italian colony produced three swarms, 
which filled their hives respectively with comb, and together 
with the parent stock, laid up ample stores for winter : the 
latter yielding besides a top box well filled with honey. 
The three young colonies were among the best in his 
Apiary. 

3. The workers do not, at most, live longer than one year, 
for though the bees and brood in the parent hive, when the 
first swarm and old queen left, were of the Italian stock ex- 
clusively, few of this kind remained in the Fall, and none 
survived the Winter. 

4. The young queen is impregnated soon after she is es- 



444 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

lablished in a colony, and continues fertile during life. 
Were this not so, the genuine queens would not have con- 
tinued to produce pure brood during those seven successive 
years. 

5. The queen leaves the hive to meet the drones. If not, 
it would scarcely have happened, that all the young queens 
bred in those seven years, with only one exception, were 
impregnated by common drones, and produced bastard 
progeny. 

6- The old queen regularly leaves with the first swarm, or 
the genuine Italian brood would not invariably have been the 
product of the swarm, but occasionally, at least, of the pa- 
rent colony, v/hich never happened in all that time. 

These observations and inferences impelled Dzierzon to 
make an effort to procure the Italian bee ; and by the aid of 
the Austrian Agricultural Society at Vienna, he succeeded 
in obtaining a colony from Mira, near Venice. Meanwhile, 
we have no further account of them in the Bienenzeitung, 
excepting that, in No. 1, 1853, Baldenstein, in reply to an 
inquiry from Dzierzon, stated that " the Italian bee is found 
immediately beyond the Alps, in the Southern valleys of the 
Grisons bordering on Italy, in Merox, in Pregell, in Pro- 
chiavo, and then in the entire Lombardo-Venitian district of 
Valtelin, in the district of Chiavenna, and on the borders of 
Lake Como." He does not doubt that it occurs also in other 
parts of Italy, but names those as places where he observed 
it himself, and is certain it may be found. 

Dzierzon obtained his Italian colony, Feb. 19, 1853, and 
on the following day transferred the combs and bees into 
one of his own hives. When the season opened, he placed 
the hive on a stand in his Apiary, and screwed it fast, lest it 
be stolen. He never moved it during the ensuing Summer ; 
but took from it combs with worker and drone brood, at reg- 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 445 

wlar intervals, supplying their place with empty comb. In 
this way he succeeded in rearing nearly fifty young queens, 
about one-half of which were impregnated by Italian drones 
and produced genuine brood. The other half produced a 
bastard progeny. He continued thus to multiply queens by 
the removal of brood, till several of his artificial colonies 
suddenly killed off their drones, and the original stock did so 
likewise on the 25th of June. The bees of the original 
colony still labored very assiduously, but gradually became 
less diligent,* till when the buckwheat came into blossom, 
it was surpassed in industry by many colonies of the com- 
mon bees. But as young bees continued to make their ap- 
pearance, he felt satisfied that the colony v^^as in a healthy 
condition. Later in the season, he unfastened the hive, pre- 
paratory to putting it in winter quarters, and on attempting 
to lift it, found he was scarcely able to move it. He now 
discovered why it had so greatly fallen behind the other colo- 
nies in industry. Having early rid itself of drones, (as 
probably is done instinctively in Italy,) it had in consequence 
of its extraordinary activity, filled all the cells with honey 
in a very short time, and was thenceforward doomed to in- 
voluntary idleness. It had attained a weight which scarcely 
any of his colonies reached in the Summer of 1846, when 
pasturage was so superabundant; whereas the Summer of 
1853 was certainly a very ordinary one in this respect. 

It was thus, also, made manifest that frequent disturbance t 
had not produced any injurious effect. Until midsummer 
Dzierzon not only removed a brood comb containing about 
5000 cells, every other day, but had on numerous other 
occasions taken out comb after comb, several times a day, to 
find the queen and show her to bee-keeping friends wh^ 
visited him, and who were anxious to see a queen thus dis- 

* See page 201. ' f See page 381, 

38 



446 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

tinguished by her brighter colors. When, in consequence of 
such interruptions, the queen retreated to the opposite end of 
the hive, he usually found her, half an hour thereafter, on 
the same comb she had occupied before, engaged in laying 
eggs. Such disturbances, if the combs be not broken or 
materially damaged, he thinks, do no injury ; but that, on 
the contrary, they not unfrequently produce a certain excite- 
ment among the bees, which impels them to issue in greater 
numbers, and labor with increased assiduity. 

" The general diffusion of this species of bee," says 
Dzierzon, " will form as marked an era in the bee-culture of 
Germany, as did the introduction of my improved hives. 
The profit derived by the farmer from feeding stock, de- 
pends not alone on due attention to the habits and wants of 
the animals, but mainly on the character of the breed itself. 
So also with the bee. We find marked differences in point 
of industry, even among our common bees ; but the Italian 
bee surpasses these in every respect. A chief difiiculty in 
the way of a more general attention to bee-culture, arises 
from the almost universal dread of the sting of this insect. 
Many fear even the momentary pain which it inflicts, though 
no other unpleasant consequences follow ; but in some per- 
sons it causes severe and long protracted swelling and in- 
flammation. This, especially, deters ladies from engaging 
in this pursuit. All this can be avoided by the introduction 
of the Italian bee, which is by no means an irrascible insect. 
It will sting only when it happens to be injured, when it is 
intentionally annoyed, or when it is attacked by robbing 
bees ; then it will defend itself with undaunted courage, 
and such are its extraordinary vigor and agility, that it is never 
overpowered, so long as the colony is in a normal condition. 
Colonies of common bees may speedily be converted into 
Italian stocks, by simply removing the queen from each, and 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 447 

after the lapse of two or three days, or as soon as the work- 
ers decidedly manifest consciousness of the deprivation, 
supplying them with an Italian queen. We are thereby also 
enabled to note the gradual disappearance of the old race, 
as it becomes supplanted by the new. Besides the increased 
profit thus derivable from bee-culture, this species also fur- 
nishes us with no small gratification in studying the nature, 
habits and economy of the insect, to greater advantage ; 
because by means of it, the most interesting experiments, 
investigations and observations may be instituted, and thus 
the remaining doubts and difficulties be cleared up." 

Busch (" Moot points of bee-culture, Gotha, 1855,") de- 
scribes the Italian bee as follows : — " The workers are 
smooth and glossy, and the color of their abdominal rings is 
a medium between the pale yellow of straw and the deeper 
yellow of ochre. These rings have a narrow black edge or 
border, so that the yellow, (which might be called leather 
colored,) constitutes the ground, and is seemingly barred 
over by these slight black edges or borders. This is most 
distinctly perceptible, when a brood comb, on which bees 
are densely crowded, is taken out of a hive. The drones 
differ from the workers in having the upper half of their ab- 
dominal rings black, and the lower half an ochry-yellow, 
thus causing the abdomen, when viewed from above, to ap- 
pear annulated. The queen differs from the common kind, 
chiefly in the greater brightness and brilliancy of her 
colors." 

Dzierzon says, " It has been questioned, even by experi- 
enced and expert Apiarians, whether the Italian race can be 
preserved in its purity, in countries where the common kind 
prevail. There need be no uneasiness on this score. Their 
preservation could be accomplished, even if natural swarm- 
ing had to be relied on, because they naturally swarm earlier 



448 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

in the season than the common kind, and also more fre- 
quently. Capt. Baldenstien's want of success was most 
probably the result of a deficiency of drone comb in his 
Italian hives, as a consequence of which only few drones 
were produced." Dzierzon guarded against this by giving 
to a very large colony, which ordinarily produced drones in 
great numbers, a fertile queen very early in the season. 
Thousands of drones soon made their appearance, and he 
immediately formed an artificial colony by removing this 
queen with a sufficient number of workers, adding worker 
brood from other colonies. On the twelfth day following, 
he heard a young queen " teeting " in the parent hive, and to 
his surprise, a large swarm issued from it on the same day, 
though the weather was then cool and cloudy. This swarm 
came forth suddenly without any previous indication of its 
intention, just as after-swarms usually do. On a similar day, 
Dzierzon says he had never seen a first swarm of common 
bees leave. So cold was the weather, that some of the bees 
became chilled before the swarm was hived. As the swarm 
was unusually large, he divided it into two, as he was able 
to procure an additional queen from the parent hive. Both 
throve well, and each of the queens was impregnated by an 
Italian drone. From this occurrence he judged that these 
bees have an instinctive proclivity to swarm early. Our 
common kind would have lingered long, rather than swarm 
in weather so cold and cloudy. 

The main thing to be attended to in any localities where 
common bees are found or kept, is to secure the production 
of drones in numbers overwhelmingly large ; though Dzier- 
zon is under the impression that where both kinds of drones 
exist in about equal numbers, the Italian queens will usually 
encounter Italian drones, both queens and drones being more 
active and agile than the common kind. Besides, the ner« 



THE ITALIAN BEE, 449 

voures of the wings of both queens and drones are finer and 
more delicate than those of the comnnon kind, and the sounds- 
produced in flying are clearer and higher toned. Hence, 
probably, they are readily able to distinguish each other 
when on the wing. 

If at the time when young queens are emerging, the bees 
and drones be tempted to sally out earlier than usual in the 
day, hours before the common drones come forth, by feeding 
them with diluted honey, the perpetuation of the genuine 
breed will the more probably be secured. But this end will 
the most certainly be attained, if measures be taken to have 
Italian queens and drones bred early in the season, before 
the common drones make their appearance; and again late,, 
after the latter have been " killed off." This may readily 
be accomplished by means of the improved hive, and th& 
application of certain known principles in bee-culture. 

The Baron of Berlepsch, one of the most enthusiastic and 
skillful Apiarians, on a large scale, in Germany, says he can, 
from his own experience, confirm the statements of Dzierzon,, 
in relation to the Italian bee. 

1. That the Italian bees are less sensitive of cold than the 
common kind. 

2. That their queens are more prolific. 

3. That the colonies swarm earlier and more frequently^ 
though of this he has less experience than Dzierzron. 

4. That they are less apt to sting. Not only are they less 
apt, but scarcely are they inclined to sting, though they will 
do so, if intentionally annoyed and irritated. 

5. That they are more industrious. Of this fact he had 
but one summer's experience, but all the results and indica- 
tions go to confirm Dzierzon's statements, and satisfy him of 
the superiority of this kind in every point of view. 

6. That they are more disposed to rob than common bees, 

38* 



450 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

and more courageous and active in self-defence. They 
strive on all hands to force their way into colonies of com- 
mon bees ; but when strange bees attack their hives, they 
fight with great fierceness and an incredible adroitness. 

From one Italian queen sent to him by Dzierzon, Berlepsch 
succeeded in obtaining, in the ensuing season, one hundred 
and thirty-nine fertile young queens, of which number about 
fifty produced pure Italian progeny. 

In order to secure an early supply of drones, as the basis 
of his future operations, Berlepsch inserted empty drone 
combs on the third of March, between combs filled with 
worker brood, and fed the colony every evening, with diluted 
honey, somewhat warmed. The cells of these drone combs 
were speedily supplied with eggs, and on the 31st of March, 
the first drones issued. But in the first week of April the 
workers cast nearly all the drone brood out of the cells, and 
not more than about 150 drones survived. The weather had 
suddenly changed and become rough and cold, and at so 
early a period the bees do not regard drones with much 
favor. He proposes operating differently hereafter, by re° 
moving the queen from some strong colonies, as soon as 
drones emerge, and insert in their hives the comb contain- 
ing drone brood, to be hatched there. The first young queen 
emerged on the 3d of April, and on the 11th, a beautiful 
Spring day, whilst drones were flying in great numbers, ho 
had the gratification of seeing the queen, return to her hive 
with evident marks of impregnation. This queen, and two 
others, soon proved to be fertile, producing Italian brood. 
On the 12th the weather became cold again, and so remained 
till the 23d, when the thermometer rose to 80° in the shade, 
and numbers of drones issued also from his hives of com- 
mon bees. This undesired occurrence constrained him to 
transfer his Italian hives to another locality. But even there,^ 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 451 

three-fifth of his young queens proved to be bastardized. 
He nevertheless continued his efforts steadily, though the 
proportion of bastardized queens continued to increase, until 
in July hardly one-tenth of the number bred proved to be of 
the pure Italian stock. This disproportion was a mystery to 
him till he observed that on very v^arm days, when the air 
is entirely calm, and the sky clear, the drones circumvoJate^ 
to unusual distances, and probably the queen's excursions 
are on such occasions similarly extensive. At least, at this 
time, the queen of a colony in an Apiary three miles distant, 
must have been impregnated by a drone from his Apiary, 
for the progeny she produced was similar to that of a com- 
mon queen, impregnated by an Italian drone. On the 20th 
of August, at which time all the common drones had disap- 
peared, Berlepsch had 117 fertile young queens, but only 
28 pure Italian. He preserved his Italian drones from 
destruction, by removing the queens from the colonies in 
which drones most abounded, and preventing the breeding of 
young queens by repeatedly destroying the royal cells con- 
structed. Thenceforward he found it an easy task to produce 
Italian queens, because few common drones remained m 
other Apiaries, and those no longer made distant excursions, 
nor did the queens roam so far abroad. He had previously 
noticed that if late in the season, drones be induced to issue 
from their hives on fair days, at an earlier hour than they 
usually come forth, by feeding the colony with warm diluted 
honey, they will not fly far, and soon return to their domi- 
ciles. By resorting to this expedient, and injecting some 
such honey, by means of a syringe, into each hive having 

* I think we shall have to iDtroduce this word in bee-culture, to de- 
signate the drone's peculiar style of locomotion when on the wing. 
It seems to be " a flight in " pseudo-cycloidal " circles urged." Aris- 
totle notices this peculiarity in their flight. 



452 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

an unimpregnated young queen, and also into those hives 
which contained many drones, he caused the workers and 
drones to issue in great numbers, and among them the 
queens from several hives. These latter soon returned with 
evident marks of impregnation. This was continued till the 
16th of September, when, after a few days absence, he 
found that the drones had been expelled from all his colonies, 
and an end thus put to his efforts for that season. 

It is a remarkable fact that an Italian queen, impregnated 
by a common drone, and a common queen impregnated by 
an Italian drone do not produce workers of a uniform in- 
termediate cast, or hybrids ; but some of the workers bred 
from the eggs of each queen will be purely of the Italian, 
and others as purely of the common race, only a few of 
them indeed being apparently hybrids. Berlepsch also had 
several bastardized queens, which at first produced Italian 
workers exclusively, and afterwards common workers as 
exclusively. Some such queens produced fully three-fourths 
Italian workers ; others, common workers in the same pro- 
portion. Nay, he states that he had one beautiful orange- 
yellow bastardized Italian queen, which did not produce a 
single Italian worker, but only common workers, perhaps a 
shade lighter in color. The drones^ however, produced by 
a bastardized Italian queen, are uniformly of the Italian 
race, and this fact, besides demonstrating the truth of Dzier- 
zon's theory, renders the preservation and perpetuation of 
the Italian race, in its purity, entirely feasible in any country 
where they may be introduced. 

Considerable difficulty has been encountered, even by ex- 
perienced Apiarians, in inducing a colony of common bees, 
deprived of its queen, to accept an Italian queen in her 
stead ; and many failures have occurred, involving the loss 
of the offered queen, and causing grievous disappointment. 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 453 

The safest course appears to be, to remove the queen several 
days before the substitution is intended to be made, and to 
destroy all the royal cells and embryo queens the day before 
the Italian queen is introduced. At the time of her introduc- 
tion, the combs should again be thoroughly examined, and if 
any more royal cells have been started, they must likewise 
be destroyed. The Italian queen should be placed in a cage * 
for her protection, and a small quantity of pure honey in 
open cells should be put in the cage. The conduct of the 
workers will speedily show whether and when they will re- 
ceive her. Mr. Lange advises that the Italian queen be in- 
troduced immediately after the bees of a deprived colony 
manifest undoubted consciousness of the loss they have sus- 
tained, and before they have started any royal cells, or made 
arrangements for doincp so. 

German Apiarians designate as iastardized such Italian 
queens as have been impregnated by common drones, and 
also such common queens as are impregnated by Italian 
drones. The progeny of each is termed hastard^ and not 
hydrid, as they do not seem to constitute an intermediate 
breed, but are sometimes of the one kind, and sometimes of 
he other. 

Truly yours, 

SAMUEL WAGNER. 

E,Ev. L. L. Langstroth. 

Otto Radlkofer, Jr., of Munich, in a communication to the 
Beinenzeitung, July, 1856, says that a colony of Italian bees 
which he transferred in February, began to build new comb 
before the middle of March, and by the middle of April 
made more than 325 square inches ; while his common bees 
had not, at the date of his communication, (the last of ApriU) 
* See page 236. 



454 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

begun to build any new comb. " Not only," says Mr. 
Radlkofer, " are the Italian bees distinguished by an earlier 
awakened impulse to activity and labor, but they are re- 
markable also for the sedulous use they make of every 
opening flower, visiting some on which common bees are 
seldom or never seen. They have also demonstrated their 
superior agility in self defence ; nay, they would not tolerate 
the presence of other bees on comb that had been strewed 
with flour for their common use. In all these respects the 
palm of superiority must be awarded to the Italian bee." 

An attempt was made last year by Mr. Wagner, to import 
this valuable variety of the honey-bee ; unfortunately the 
colonies perished on the voyage. Another attempt will be 
made to introduce them, so as to have them in season for 
operations, the ensuing Spring. 

The great obstacle to its more rapid diffusion in Germany, 
has been the difficulty under which even their most experi- 
enced Apiarians labor, in keeping the breed pure. From 
Mr, Wagner's letter it will be apparent that to bee-keepers 
on the old plan, the possession of an Italian queen could only 
serve to gratify their curiosity, as it would be next to 
impossible for them to multiply from it a pure breed. 
To those, however, who by using frames or slats have the 
command of each comb in a hive, such a queen might be 
made very valuable. By means of my non-swarmer^ a whole 
Apiary, however large, may in a single season have all its 
colonies supplied with genuine Italian queens, all produced 
from a single one, and this can be accomplished not only 
with much more certainty, but with far less labor than is re- 
quired by the German plan. As this is a subject which may 
soon be of great practical importance to our bee-keepers, I 
will give a brief sketch of the plan which I propose, for 
multiplying Italian queens. 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 455 

Having one fertile Italian queen, in the Spring or early 
Sumnner, the Apiarian should proceed substantially as fol- 
lows : Let him make a powerful stock of bees in a hive 
giving him the control of the combs, putting into the center 
some combs which contain a large number of drone cells. 
Deprive this transferred stock of its queen, as soon as they 
have repaired their combs, and with suitable precautions, 
introduce to them the Italian queen. When the drone cells 
are filled with capped brood, let nuclei be formed from this 
stock. Brood combs must not, however, be removed too often, 
unless the Apiarian can keep the parent stock strong, by 
supplying it from other hives with combs containing bees just 
ready to hatch. As soon as the queens in the nuclei begin to 
mature, adjust the non-swarmer to all the hives in the Apiary 
containing common drones, so as to shut in the drones, 
(p. 203,) but give free egress and ingress to queens and wokr- 
ers. In this way, the drones bred by the Italian queen having 
their liberty, all the young females will be fertilized by them. 

As fast as the queen of any nucleus becomes fertile and 
has replenished the cells with eggs, remove her and give her 
to some strong stock of common bees, which has previously 
been deprived of its queen. The nucleus will now attempt 
to raise more, which before they hatch may be used for 
other colonies, one only being left behind. Soon after any 
strong stock with movable combs obtains a fertile Italian 
queen, nuclei may be formed from it, and in this way as 
many be raised as the necessities of the Apiary may 
require. 

A portion of the Italian drone brood ought to be given to 
some of the nuclei, and more drone comb put in its place, in 
the hive having the original Italian queen, so that in case the 
drones are killed in this colony, others will still be on hand. 
The Apiarian should also, later in the season, remove the 



456 THE ITALIAN BEE. 

original Italian queen from the hive and put her elsewhere, 
in order that, finding themselves v^ithoui a queen, they may 
be disposed to tolerate the drones, as long as possible. If 
other Apiaries are near, to which he cannot apply the non- 
swarmer, the bee-keeper must remove his nuclei and hive 
with the Italian queen and drones, to some situation more 
remote. By substantially such methods of procedure, the 
season may be ended with none but Italian queens in the 
Apiary. Let the bee-keeper in his zeal for multiplying 
colonies with Italian queens, be sure not to forget my pre- 
vious cautions. He should never, unless in latitudes where 
the Winter is mild and short, attempt to winter any but 
strong stocks. From these, with the comb procured in 
uniting several feeble families, he can safely form new ones 
the ensuing season, and with much less trouble and expense 
than would ordinarily be necessary to nurse feeble stocks 
through a very precarious existence. 

Italian queens may be safely sent in my hives to any part 
of the country. A hive for this purpose should be made to 
hold only one comb, which ought to be old and very se- 
curely fastened. Into such a hive, suitably provisioned, an 
Italian queen may be introduced with a few hundred bees to 
keep her company, and if the frame containing the comb is 
properly secured, and sufficient ventilation given, they will 
bear a journey of many days. If received at a season un- 
suitable for rearing new queens, she may be given to some 
strong colony, transferxed * to a suitable hive, and reserved 
for future operations. 

* In the directions for transferring bees, 1 spoke of securing the old 
combs with cotton-twine^ until the bees could fasten them to the 
frames. Quite recently a friend has contrived a much better way. 
He cuts out from bass or any other spongy wood, slats, three-eights of 
an inch wide, and one.eighth thick, and half an inch longer than 



THE ITALIAN BEE. 457 

It is hardly necessary for me to say, that a species of the 
honey-bee so much more productive than the common kind, 
and so much less sensitive to cold, will be of very great 
value to all sections of our country. Its superior docility 
would make it worthy of high regard, even if in other re- 
spects it had no peculiar merits. Its introduction into this 
country, will, it is confidently believed, constitute a new era 
in bee-keeping, and impart an interest in its pursuit which 
will enable us ere long to vie with any part of the world in 
the production of honey. 

If an intelligent farmer passing through a fertile district, 
should see vast fields of grass and grain rotting on the 
ground for want of gatherers, the sight would awaken the 
most painful emotions. To the well-informed Apiarian it is 
almost as painful a sight, to behold countless millions of 
blossoms, which if they do not " waste their sweetness on 
the desert air," exhale their luscious juices with but little 
benefit to man. Why should our land be deprived of the 
happy murmurs of these insect laborers, gathering up every 
wholesome * svi^eet, so that nothing may go to waste which the 
Bountiful Creator has made for the good of his creatures ? 

'^ Bees work for man, and yet they never bruise 
Their master's flower, but leave it, having done, 
As fair as ever and as fit for use." 

Herbert. 
the depth of the frames ; these are fastened together with strings, in 
pairs, so as just to slide over the top and bottom of a frame, to hold 
the comb in its place. Two pairs will be needed on each frame, and 
they may easily be removed after the bees have made the proper at- 
tachments. 

* The Ancients, we know, set a high value upon honey, recom- 
mending it, in moderation, as one of the most wholesome articles of 
food, and ascribing to it extraordinary medicinal virtues. The wise 
king has seen tit, in his book of Proverbs, to recommend its use by a 
special injunction ! " My son. eal thou honey, for it is good." 
39 



458 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Bee-keeper's Calendar — Bee-keeper's Axioms. 

I SHALL now furnish plain directions for each month in the 
year, so that the beginner may always know what to do, at 
any given season, in his Apiary ; and as a full Alphabetical 
Index is given at the end of the book, he can easily refer to 
all that is said on any subject. 

January. — In cold climates, bees, in this month, are 
usually in a state of repose. If the colonies have had pro- 
per attention in the Fall, nothing will ordinarily need to be 
done, that will excite them to an activity always more or less 
injurious. In very cold climates, however, when a severe 
temperature is of very long continuance, it will be necessary, 
if the hives are not most thoroughly protected, to bring them 
into a warm room, (p. 327,) to thaw out the ice, and allow 
the bees to get access to their supplies. If the holes in the 
spare honey-board are left open, (p. 435,) the hives may be 
set low, and if completely covered with snow, so much the 
better for the bees, if proper precautions are used to prevent 
the water from entering them, in case of a sudden thav/. 
In January there are occasionally, even in very cold latitudes, 
days so pleasant that bees can fly out to discharge their 
fgeces; do not confine them, (p. 327,) even if some are lost 
on the snow. In this month clean the bottom-boards, (p. 
327,) but disturb the bees as little as possible, 

February. — This month is sometimes colder than January, 
and then the directions given for the previous month, must be 



459 

followed. In milder seasons, however, and in warmer re- 
gions, bees begin to fly quite lively in February, and in some 
locations they commence gathering pollen. The bottom- 
boards should be again attended to, as soon as the bees are 
actively on the wing, and if any hives are suspiciously light, 
sugar-candy (p. 358) should be given them. Strong colo- 
nies will now begi-n to breed considerably, but nothing 
should be done to excite them to premature activity, 

March. — In our Northern States, the inhospitable reign 
of Winter still continues, and the directions given for the 
two previous months will be applicable to this. If there 
should be a pleasant day when bees are able to fly briskly, 
seize the opportunity to remove the covers (p. 334) ; care- 
fully clean out the hives, (p. 284), and learn the exact con- 
dition of every colony. See that your bees have a sheltered 
and sunny place for procuring water, (p. 357), and also that 
they are well supplied with rye-flour ; (p. 94.) In this 
month weak stocks commonly begin to breed, while strong 
ones increase quite rapidly. If the weather is favorable, 
colonies which have been kept in a special winter depository, 
may now be put upon their proper stands, (p. 332). 

April. — Bees will ordinarily begin to gather much pollen 
in this month, and sometimes considerable honey. As brood 
is now very rapidly maturing, there is a largely increased 
demand for honey, and great care should betaken to prevent 
the bees from suffering, in the very least, for want of food. 
If the supplies are at all deficient, breeding will be checked, 
even if much of the brood does not perish, or the whole 
colony die of starvation. If the weather is propitious, 
feeding to promote a more rapid increase of young (p. 347), 
may now be commenced. If any colonies are too feeble in 
numbers, they must now be reinforced (p. 284), and should 
the weather continue cold, for several days at a time, the 



460 

bees ought to be supplied with water (p. 257) in their hives. 
In April, if not before, the larvse of the bee-moth will begin 
to make their appearance, and should be carefully destroyed, 
(p. 367). 

May. — As the weather becomes more genial, the increase 
of bees in the colonies is exceedingly rapid, and drones, if 
they have not previously made their appearance, begin to 
issue from the hives. In some locations the bees will now 
gather much honey, and it will often be advisable to give 
them access to the spare-honey receptacles ; but in some 
seasons and locations, either from long and cold storms, or a 
deficiency of forage, stocks that are not well supplied with 
honey, will exhaust their stores and perish, unless they are 
fed. In favorable seasons swarms may be expected in this 
month, even in the Northern States. In Texas I have seen 
them issue early in March, and in some of the Southern 
States they are quite common in April. These May swarms 
often issue near the close of the blossoming of fruit trees, 
and just before the later supplies of forage, and will some- 
times starve, if the weather becomes suddenly unfavorable, 
unless they are fed. Even if there is no danger of this, 
they ought to be fed when food is scarce, or they will make 
so little progress in comb-building and breeding as to be sur- 
passed by much later swarms. The Apiarian should have 
hives in readiness to receive new swarms, however early 
they may issue or be formed. If new colonies are to be 
made by artificial processes, the proper methods should be 
taken to secure a seasonable supply of queens, (p. 190.) 
I ought previously to have stated that a queen nearly mature, 
may be known by having the wax removed by the bees from 
the extremity of her cell, so as to give it a very hroion ap- 
pearance. 

June. — This is the great swarming month in all our 



bee-keeper's calendar. 461 

Northern and Middle States. As bees keep up a high tem- 
perature in their hives, they are by no means so dependent 
upon the weather, for forwardness, as plants, and most other 
insects necessarily are. I have had as early swarms in 
Northern Massachusetts, as in the vicinity of Philadelphia. 
If bees do not swarm very soon after the fruit trees are in 
blossom, it is desirable to have them defer it, until later sup- 
plies furnish them with abundant forage. They seldom 
swarm if honey is not so abundant that they can gather 
more than they need for immediate consumption. Artificial 
colonies, therefore, should not be made, except at such sea- 
sons, unless the Apiarian expects to feed them. 

In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I forgot to say that 
the bees may be driven up into the top box of my hive, by 
removing the honey-board, blowing smoke into the entrance, 
and drumming upon the outside of the hive. Inexperienced 
Apiarians may prefer this to opening the hive and lifting out 
the combs. I can easily stupify bees by fumigating them 
with puff-ball, or by pouring into their hive a little chloroform 
or ether, but it is far more troublesome to manage them in 
this way, than with the smoke of punk. 

If the bee-keeper relies upon natural swarming, his Apiary, 
if not in full sight and sound, should be carefully watched. 
If this cannot be done, he should, after a short absence, 
carefully examine the neighboring bushes and trees, on some 
of which he will often find a swarm clustered, preparatory 
to their departure for a new home. As it may often be im- 
portant to know from which hive the swarm has issued, after 
it has been hived and removed to its new stand, let a cup full 
of bees be taken from it and thrown into the air, near the 
Apiary ; they will soon return to the parent stock, and may 
easily be recognized, by their standing at the entrance and 
fanning, like ventilating bees; Where the hives have glass 
39* 



462 bee-keeper's calendar. 

windows, the diminished number of bees will usually show 
which colony has swarmed. 

As fast as they are filled,* and the cells capped over, the 
surplus honey-receptacles should be removed, and empty 
ones returned in their place. Careless bee-keepers often 
lose much, by neglecting to do this in season, thereby con- 
demning their colonies to a very unwilling idleness. The 
Apiarian will bear in mind that all small swarms, which 
come off late in this month, should be either aided, doubled, 
or returned to the mother stock, (p. 163). With my hives 
the issue of such swarms may be prevented, by removing in 
season the supernumerar}^ queen cells. During all the 
swarming season, and indeed at all other times when young 
queens are being bred, the bee-keeper must ascertain sea- 
sonably, that the hives which contain them, succeed in secur- 
ing a fertile mother, (p. 294). 

I have repeatedly observed that after-swarms build the 
most regular worker comb, and that if they lay up a suffi- 
cient supply of honey, they usually make the best stock 
hives. If, by further experiments, I ascertain that this is 
owing to their possessing a young queen, I shall judge it 
best, in making artificial swarms, to leave the old queen with 
the parent stock, and to supply the forced swarm with a young 
one, as soon as ihey manifest a consciousness of their loss. 

July. — In some seasons and districts, this is the great 
swarming month, while in others, bees issuing so late, are 
of small account. In Northern Massachusetts, 1 have known 
swarms coming after the 4th of July, to fill their hives and 
make large quantities of surplus honey besides. In this 
month all the choicest spare honey should be removed from 

* Mr. Quinby informs me, that he succeeds in making bees fill a 
double tier of small boxes, by placing one set on the hive first ; when 
they have partially filled these, he puts the second set under the first. 



46B 

the hives, before the delicate whiteness of the combs be- 
comes soiled by the travel of the bees, or the purity of the 
honey is impaired by an inferior article gathered later in the 
season. 

The bees should have a liberal allowance of air during all 
extremely hot weather, and if the stocks are strong, I often 
remove entirely the entrance blocks. 

August. — In most regions there is but little forage for 
bees, during the latter part of July and the first part of Au- 
gust, and being on this account tempted to rob each other, 
the greatest precautions should be used in opening hives, 
(p. 342). 

In districts where buckwheat is extensively cultivated, bees 
will sometimes swarm when it comes into blossom, and in 
some seasons extraordinary supplies are obtained from it. I 
had a buckwheat swarm this year (1856) as late as the 16lh 
of September ! 

If any colonies are, in the expressive language of old 
Butler, " over fat," some of their full combs should now be 
removed, (p. 201). If the caps of the cells are carefully 
sliced off, with a very sharp knife, and the combs laid over 
a vessel, in some moderately warm place, and turned once, 
most of the honey will drain out of them, and they may be 
returned lo the bees, to be filled again. I know of scarcely 
any more profitable operation in the whole range of bee- 
keeping, than this, when a fair price can be obtained for the 
liquid honey. 

The bee-keeper who has queenless stocks on hand in 
August, must expect as the result of his ignorance or neg- 
lect, either to have them robbed by other colonies, or de- 
stroyed by the moth,* (p. 264). 

* An attentive perusal, quite recently, of what Aristotle has written 
on the subject of the honey-bee, has impressed me with the extraordi- 



464 

September. — This is often a very busy month with bees. 
The Fall flowers come into blossom, and in some seasons 
colonies which have hitherto amassed but little honey, be- 
come heavy and even yield a surplus to their owner. Bees 
are very reluctant to work in boxes, so late in the season, 
even if supplies are very abundant; but if empty combs 
are inserted in the place of full ones removed, they will fdl 
them with astonishing celerity. These full combs may af- 
terwards be returned, if the bees have not a sufficient supply 
without them. They can be profitably used for making new 
stocks, out of bees driven from hives condemned, by old- 
fashioned bee-keepers, to the sulphur pit. 

If no Fall supplies abound, and any stocks are too light 
to winter with safety, then, in the Northern States, the latter 
part of this month is the proper time for feeding them. I 
have already stated (p. 36) that it is impossible to tell how 
much food a colony will require to carry it safely through 
the winter; it will be found, however, very unsafe to trust 
to a bare supply, for even if there is food enough, it may not 
always be readily accessible to the bees. For this reason I 
prefer lo leave in all my hives a very generous supply, as I 

nary knowledge possessed by him of their habits. Several important 
points which I have met with in no other work, and which I had sup- 
posed to be discoveries of my own, appear to have been familiar to 
this truly wonderful genius. Speaking of the larva3 of the bee-moth, 
he says : '' Good bees expel them ; but others from slothfulness, neg- 
lect their combs, which then perish." His good bees were evidently 
such as possessed abundant stores and a healthy queen ; and his bad 
ones neglected to expel the worms, not from idleness, but from despair, 
(see p. 262). We learn from this remark of Aristotle, that the moth 
preyed upon queenless stocks, more than two thousand years ago, pre- 
cisely in the same way as now. So, doubtless, it will continue to do 
in spite of all pretended moth-proof hives, as long as time shall 
endure. 



bee-keeper's calendar. 465 

can easily remove any surplus in the Spring. If the aggre- 
gate resources of the colonies are sufficient, those which 
have not enough, may be supplied from those having a su- 
perabundance. In some cases the bee-keeper may prefer, 
by uniting several destitute stocks, to save the labor and ex- 
pense of feeding, (p. 315.) Great caution will still be ne- 
nessary to guard against robbing, but if there are no feeble, 
queenless, or impoverished stocks, the bees, unless tempted 
by improper management, will seldom rob each other. 

October. — Forage is now almost entirely exhausted in 
most localities, and colonies which are too light should be 
fed early in this month. If feeding is begun too early, in 
seasons when late forage is abundant, there will be a great 
waste of honey. In this month, at the very latest, the exact 
condition of every stock should be known, and if any are 
found in a queenless condition, they should be broken up. 
Small colonies should be united to others, and all the hives 
put into proper condition for wintering. Some full honey- 
combs should be put in the center of the hive, and holes, for 
easy intercommunication, be made in the combs ; (pp. 323- 
4,). Since putting to press the remarks on wintering bees, 
I have succeeded in devising a very simple, cheap and effi- 
cient method, by which in new frames, the requisite winter 
passages will be left by the bees, so that movable frames 
may be safely used, without the necessity of opening the 
hives to make the holes, (p. 325.) 

In describing the advantages of punk-smoke, for subduing 
bees, it ought to have been stated that no utensil of any kind 
will be needed for using it ; the Apiarian being able to blow 
the smoke upon the bees with his mouth better than in any 
other way. I find that the punk from hard wood is the best. 

Hives not made of doubled materials, if they are to 
winter out of doors, should be protected according to the 



466 

directions on pages 326 and 434. By the last of October, 
the glass hives should be thoroughly packed, between the 
outside cases and the glass, with cotton, or any other warm 
material. 

November. — I take for granted that all necessary prepara- 
tions for Winter, have, in our Northern States, been com- 
pleted by the last of the previous month. If, hov^^ever, the 
bee-keeper has been prevented from examining his stocks, 
he may, on warm days, in November, safely perform all 
necessary operations, the feeding with liquid honey, excepted. 
The entrances to the hives must now be secured against 
mice, and it will be well to give the roofs a new coat of 
paint. If the hives are to be exposed to the sun, at all sea- 
sons, no color is so good as a pure white ; but if they are 
set under the shade of trees, (p. 301,) a dark color will do 
them no harm, in the hottest weather, while early in the 
season, before the leaves are expanded, by absorbing instead 
of reflecting the heat, it will prove highly advantageous to 
the bees. 

By the latter part of November, in our Northern States, 
Winter usually sets in, and colonies which are to be kept in a 
special winter depository, should be properly housed. The 
later in the season that the bees are able to fly out and dis- 
charge their fseces, the better. The bee-keeper must regu- 
late the time of housing his bees by the season and climate, 
being careful not to take them in, until cold weather appears 
to be fairly established, nor to leave them out too late. The 
necessity for the exercise of so much good judgment in this 
matter, is a serious objection to the use of winter quarters, 
by any except those who have considerable experience in 
their management. If colonies are carried in too early, and 
a spell of quite warm weather succeeds the first cold, it 
will sometimes be advisable to replace them on their sum- 
mer stands. 



bee-keeper's axioms. 467 

IJecember. — In regions where it is advisable to house 
bees, the dreary reign of Winter is now fairly established, 
and the directions given for January are for the most part 
equally applicable to this month. It may be well, in hives 
out of doors, to remove the dead bees and other refuse from 
the bottom-boards, but neither in this month nor at any other 
time, should this be attempted with those removed to a dark 
and protected place. Such colonies must not, except under 
the pressure of some urgent necessity, be disturbed in the 
very least, (p. 116.) 

I recommend to the inexperienced bee-keeper, to read 
this synopsis of monthly management, again and again, and 
to be sure that he fully understands and punctually dis- 
charges the appropriate duties of each month, neglecting 
nothing, and procrastinating nothing to a more convenient 
season ; for while bees do not require a large amount of at- 
tention, in proportion to the profits yielded by them, they 
must have it at the proper time and in the right ivay. Those 
who complain of their unprofitableness, are often as much 
to blame as a farmer who, after neglecting to take suitable 
care of his stock, or to gather his crops in season, should 
denounce his employment as yielding only a scanty return, 
on a large investment of capital and labor. 

Bee-Keeper's Axioms. 

Under this head I shall briefly enumerate certain first 
principles which should regulate the whole management of 
bees, and ought therefore to be as familiar to every Apiarian, 
as the letters of his alphabet. 

1st. Bees gorged with honey never volunteer an attack. 

2nd. Bees may always be made peaceable, by inducing 
them to accept of liquid sweets. 



468 

Sd. Bees when frightened by smoke or by drumming on 
their hives, fill themselves with honey and lose all disposition 
to sting, unless they are hurt. 

4th. Bees dislike any quick movements about their hives, 
more especially any motion which jars their combs. 

5th. Bees dislike the offensive odor of sweaty animals, 
and will not endure impure air from human lungs. 

6th. The bee-keeper will ordinarily derive all his profits 
from stocks, strong and healthy, in early Spring. 

7th. In districts where forage is abundant only for a short 
period, the largest yield of honey will be secured by a i^ery 
moderate increase of stocks. 

8th. A moderate increase of colonies in any one season, 
will in the long run, prove to be the easiest, safest and 
cheapest mode of managing bees. 

9th. Queenless colonies, unless supplied with another 
queen, will inevitably dwindle away, or be destroyed by the 
bee-moth or by robber bees. 

10th. The formation of new colonies should ordinarily be 
confined to the season when bees are accumulating honey, 
and if this or any other operation must be performed when 
forage is scarce, the greatest precautions should be used to 
prevent robbing. 

The very essence of all profitable bee-keeping may be 
condensed into Oetle's Golden Rule : keep your stocks 
STRONG. If you cannot succeed in doing this, the more 
money you invest in bees, the heavier will be your losses ; 
while if your stocks are strong, you will show that you are 
a hee-master, as well as a bee-keeper, and may safely cal- 
culate on generous returns from your grateful and industrious 
subjects. 



APPENDIX, 



On the impeegnation of the eggs of the Queen, 

It would seem, from recent discoveries, that the spermato- 
zoa do not simply come in contact with an egg, in impreg- 
nating it, but actually enter into it, through a small opening. 
In applying this discovery to bees, Prof. Siebold, of Germany, 
dissected a larg-e number of worker-eggs, and found, in such 
as were not too much mutilated for proper examination, 
from one to three spermatozoa, while in dissecting drone- 
eggs, he could not find the slightest traces that they had 
been impregnated. 

Dr. DonhofT reared, last Summer, a worker larva, from a 
drone-egg which he had artificially impregnated. I attempt- 
ed this experimeiit, in 1852 ; but to my great disappoint- 
ment, the bees removed or devoured all the eggs thus treat- 
ed, owing, as I then supposed, to their unwillingness to 
raise workers in drone cells. By taking a piece of drone- 
coml) in which eggs have just been deposited, and touching 
some of them with a fine brush, dipped in the diluted semen 
of drones, I believe that queens, workers and drones may be 
raised from these eggs, if the precaution, is taken to give 
them to bees having neither queen nor brood of any kind. 

To those who deny that the human family could ever 
have sprung from a single pair, on account of the great 
physical diversities between the different races, I would re- 
spectfully submit the fact, which has been demonstrated in 
so many independent ways, that queens, workers or drones 
may be raised from the same kind of eggs. The differences 
between ihem, in size, shape, color and instincts, are con- 
fessedly much greater than any between the various races of 
snen ; and yet, in the one case, the changes are all produced 
in a few weeks, while in the other, they may have had 
many hundreds of years, for their gradual development. 
40 



470 APPENDIX. 



On the secretion of Eoyal Jelly. 

Some recent observations of Mr. P. J. Mahan, prove that 
bees when entirely confined to their hive and supplied with 
water, are able from the honey and pollen stored in their 
combs, to secrete royal jelty and rear perfect queens. The' 
incessant attention bestowed upon the royal cells, (p. 69,) 
must, in part, be owing to the many visits required, for the 
workers to store in them the usual allowance of jelly. 



On teansfersing bees from common, to movable coms 

HIVES. 

On a cold day, in the latter part of December, a colony of 
bees in an old I30X, was transferred by Mr. P. J. Mahan, to 
a movable comb hive. About a dozen bees were killed in 
the transfer which was performed in a warm room. A 
month later this colony was examined in their new home, 
and their combs found to contain eggs, worms and sealed 
brood. It would seem from this experimeni, that there is no 
day in the year, so cold, that experienced operators cannot 
safely transfer bees. 



On the USE OF Grated SuGAR-CANDi: as a Winter bee- 
feed. On the shape of hives. 

The Rev. Mr. Kleine, uses grated sugar-candy, as a win- 
ter food for bees. He first dampens the empty combs with 
sweetened water, and after grating intoihem the candy, puts 
them where they will be most accessible to the bees. In- 
creasing experience confirms the extraordinary merits of 
candy, as a winter bee-feed. It may be easily and safely 
given to needy stocks, in the coldest weather, if they are in 
movable-comb hives. 

The shape for hives, recommended on page 432, will be 
found objectionable by those who desire to lift and manage 



APPENDIX. 4T1 

them, without any assistance. All hives designed to acconr)- 
niodate more than one colony, will, for the same reason, be 
unsuited to the wants of such cultivators. By making my 
hives about 18 inches, from front to rear, and varying the 
other proportions, I am able to combine a shape convenient 
for handling, with one well adapted for wintering bees in 
cold climates. 



On Movable Bottom-Boards. 

I find that the use of punk-smoke,*" obviates some of the 
chief objections to movable bottom-boards. By blowing a 
little smoke into the mouth of the hive, the bees may be 
quickly driven up among the combs, so that the hive maybe 
lifted and the bottom-board cleaned, without crushing a 
single bee. 

By the use of movable bottom-boards, the bee-keeper can 
set one hive on top of another, making use of the upper 
one as a place of storage for the surplus honey. In hives of 
the simplest form, built in this way, a given quantity of 
honey may be secured on frames, in marketable order, at a 
very m.oderate outlay ; I believe for as small a sum as in 
any kind of hive whatever. (See PI. 1.) 



On Wintering Bees tn the Open Air. 

In the previous part of this work, directions were given 
for furnishing proper intercommunications among the combs, 
and for allowing the dampness of the main hive to escape 
into the upper cover, by opening some of the holes in the 
spare honey board. To-day, (Jan. 9th 1857,) a number of 
colonies were examined, to which suitable winter communi- 
cations between their combs, had been given, all the holes 
on their honey-boards being left open. The month of De- 
cember was severely cold, the thermometer falling to 17*^ 

* The use of smoke in subduing bees, is referred to by Aristotle, 
Columella, and Pliny. Bee-keepers who have never tried it, can hard- 
ly conceive how wonderfully it facilitates the management of bees. 



472 APPENDIX. 

below zero. The last three days, it has been about half of 
■ the time below zero, and never more than ten above, while 
the wind has blown almost a continuous gale. In none of 
the hives could I detect any frost or dampness, or any bees 
frozen by being caught away from the main body of the 
colony. In the upper covers, however, there was an abund- 
ance of frost, and it was easy to see where the dampness 
had escaped. In a few of my colonies in which none of the 
holes had been opened, the sides of the hive, many of the 
combs, and the surface of the honey board next to the bees, 
were coated with frost ! 

So long as it is too cold for the frost in the hives to thaw, 
it may subject the bees to Ihlle inconvenience, unless they 
need the food in the frosty combs ; but as soon as a thaw 
sets in, the combs must become damp and the bees so 
drenched with wet, as to be exposed to disease. If the 
weather suddenly changes to severe cold, before the hive 
has time to dry, then the bees being wet, are liable to 
be entirely destroyed. In this way many colonies perished 
in the month of March, 1856. The Winter having been 
intensely cold, the hives were filled with frost, and in some 
the ice on the sides was neariy 1-4 of an inch thick. A few 
days of mild weather in which the frost began to thaw out, 
was followed by extreme cold and furious winds, during 
which many colonies which had abundant stores, perished. 
In many instances tlie bees which were still wet from the 
previous thaw, were frozen into an almost solid mass ! I 
lind, by experience, that in very cold climates, unless the 
dampness is allowed to escape from above, it is almost im- 
possible to prevent such fatalities, in hives standing in the 
open air. The intense cold will defy any amount of protec- 
tion which can be given, and the hives will be damp, the 
combs mouldy and the bees diseased, even where frost may 
be entirely excluded. Indeed the greater the protection given 
to hives that have no upward ventilation, the greater, often, 
the risk from dampness. A very thin hive, unpainted, so 
that it may easily absorb the heat of the sun, will dry inside, 
when the weather becomes mild enough to thaw, much 
sooner than one painted white, and in every way most 
thoroughly protected against cold. The first may be com- 



APJPE^DIX. 473 

pared to a garret, and the other to a cellar. While the one 
is annoyed with dampness for a short time only, the other 
may be so long in drying, as to injure if not destroy the bees. 

In order to test this matter more thoroughly, I have re- 
moved some colonies from hives the best protected, into 
others less than an inch thick. Giving them the necessary 
openings to allow the dampness to escape, and exposing 
them to a temperature iG° below zero, I have found very 
little frost in their hives ! It must not be inferred from 
these observations, that it is a matter of inditference to bees, 
whether their hives are well or ill protected, but that securi- 
ty against dampness, if the hives are well peopled and well 
provisioned, is more important than anything else. 

In the experiments of this winter, some of my hives have 
been subjected to the severest tests. The honey-board has 
been entirely removed, and only a thin upper cover placed 
over the bees, so that the empty ^-pace above them was 
nearly as large as the main hive. On lifting this cover, it 
has been found coated with frost, while the main hive was 
dry, and the bees full of life and activity. In a temperature 
many degrees below zero, they would rush up from their 
combs, on the slightest jar of their hive, rapidly pouring 
through the intercommunications betvv^een the combs, and 
thus showing their ability to reach any of the stores in their 
hive. 

It must not be forgotten, however, that when upward 
ventilation is given to the hives, the entrances should be 
most carefully sheltered from cold winds. In situations 
where this is clifncult, they should be almost entirely closed^ 
and this may be safely done in the thinnest hives, by making 
proper provision for the escape of dampness. Even if the 
hives should be buried in the snow, and the entrances en- 
tirely closed, the bees will not suffer for want of air, where 
they have free openings into the upper cover, but like the 
Esquimaux in their snow huts, will only be the more effectu- 
ally protected against the cold. The upward ventilation of 
the hives in Winter, renders a ventilator on the bottom-board, 
(p. 325,) unnecessary. 

If on the approach of Winter, a few thicknesses of com- 
mon straw wrapping paper or old newspapers, are tacked on 
40* 



474 APPENDIX. 

the under side of the spare honey board, neither frost 
nor dampness will ever gather upon it, to annoy the bees. 
Holes for upward ventilation may be cut out in the paper ; 
but I prefer to drive tacks into the four corners of the board,* 
so as to elevate it about half an inch. The paper should be 
removed and the honey-board shut down, in the Spring. 

Since the chapter on Protection of Hives, went to the 
press, owing to a delay in printing the rest of the work, 
caused by the Author's ill health, an opportunity has been 
afforded for nearly two Winters, of experimenting further on 
the best mode of wintering bees. While the results of last 
Winter, taught me the need of upward ventilation, and a 
more free communication among the combs, the numerous 
experiments of this Winter, have convinced me that I have 
over-estimated the benefits to be derived from thoroughly 
protected hives. To-day, (Jan. 14, 1857,) I have opened 
three hives and carefully examined the combs, and find 
their condition to be as follows: (No. 1.) A good stock of 
bees, in a thin hive, with abundant upward ventilation, the 
spare honey-board being entirely removed. In the main 
hive there was a very little frost, (the thermometer this KM, 
being 10^ degrees below zero,) and the bees were dry and 
lively. The central combs contained eggs and unsealed 
worms. (No. 2.) A stock eqally strong, in a thin hive, long 
enough to hold 18 frames. The bees with their combs, occu- 
pied the eight central frames ; the other frames had no 
combs. This hive had no upward ventilation, and contain- 
ed much frost. The central combs had eggs and unsealed 
worms. (No. 3.) A hive most thoroughly protected by 
dead air spaces all around, and having upward ventilation, 
the holes in its honey board being all left open. This hive 
was about os t^rost}^ as No. 1, and its central combs had 
eggs and worms, a \^qw of which were sealed over. It had 
a better stock of bees than the others, but appeared to have 
commenced breeding only a ^qw days earlier. 

The results of these examinations show, that where there 



*= To-day, (Jan. IGth,) the thermometer being below zero, I exam- 
ined a stock in a thin hive, the honey-board being elevated, as above?. 
The hive was free from frost, and the bees very lively. 



APPENDIX. 475 

is a good supply of food and bees, breeding conamences* 
about the same time, being influenced very little by the 
thickness or thinness of the hives. Bees can only breed in 
such combs as they can densely cover, and, as was shown 
in No. 2, however large the cold and unoccupied space in 
their hive, they are able to develop their brood in these 
combs. No amount of protection which could possibly be 
given to the hive, would enable them to rear a single bee, 
except in the warm combs on which they are clustered. 
Bees kept in large garret-closets where their combs oc- 
cupy but a small part of the enclosed space, are ex^posed 
often to a very severe temperature. In such situations, 
however, they are able to breed in the depth of winter, and 
I believe that they would thrive, even if their combs were 
hung in an open shed, and merely protected from the wind. 
1 would sooner risk them in such a situation, than in a damp 
hive, however well-protected. 

The grand essentials for successfully wintering bees in 
the open air, in cold climates, may be condensed into a very 
few words : plenty of bees ; plenty of food ; easy commu- 
nications among the combs; upward ventilation for the 
escape of dampness ; and the hive-entrance well sheltered 
from piercing winds. 

Jan. 30th, 1857: This month, the coldest on record for 
more than 50 years, has furnished the most decisive proof of 
the correctness of the views advanced in this Appendix, on 
wintering bees in the open air. My colonies have been ex- 
posed to a temperature of 30° below zero, the mercury for 
iwo days never having risen above 6^ below, and the wind 
blowing a strong gale the whole time ! I have to-day care- 
fully examined the thin hive, (No. 1, p. 474,) and find the 
bees to be very healthy. The central comb is almost en- 
tirely filled with sealed brood, nearly mature ; the combs are 
free from any appearance of mould, and the interior of the 
hive is very dry. The spare honey-board was covered on its 
under side,v\/ith straw wrapping-paper, and elevated by tacks 

* 1 examined a number of strong stocks Nov. 1st, and found that 
breeding had entirely ceased ; Aristotle says that it ceases for about 60 
days. This agrees with my own observations, at; I found eggs in these 
stocks early in January. 



476 APPENDIX. 

on ils corners about half an inch. In all my hives where I 
have adopted this arrangement, not a particle of dampness is 
found to settle over the bees. The value of the intercom- 
municating passages through the combs, has this Winter been 
most fully tested ; and its importance can hardly be over-esti- 
mated. For the last few days a thaw has set in, which has 
not injured the hives having upward ventilation, although it 
has filled with dampness the few which were purposely left 
without it. 

To-day, (Jan. 31st,) I have removed the upper cover and 
spar^ honey-board, from the thin hive mentioned above, ex- 
posing the bees to the full heat of the sun, the thermometer 
being 30° in the shade, and the atmosphere calm. The hive 
standing on the sunny side of the house, the bees were 
quickly in motion, and taking wing discharged their f^ces. 
Very few were lost on the snow, and nearly all that alit 
upon it, (p. 327,) took wing without being chilled. More bees 
were lost from other hives which were not opened, as few 
which left such hives were able to return ; while in the one 
with the cover removed, the returning bees were able to 
alight at once among their warm companions, (p. 334.) 

The Rev. J. C. Bodv/ell, of Framingham, Mass., put, at 
the commencement ot the winter, a number of good stocks, 
in mov. comb hives, into a very dry cellar, leaving the spare 
honey-boards entirely off. In examining* one of these on 
the 17th of January, he found that the combs were perfectly 
dry and contained an abundance of eggs, worms and sealed 
brood. This is a highly important observation, proving as 
it does that bees in a suitable winter depositary, begin to 
breed at the usual period, even although their hives are in 
midnight darkness. In due time, the results of Mr. Bod- 
well's experiments, as compared with those obtained by 
others, from wintering colonies in the open air, will be com- 
municated to the public. 

* The careful reader will notice the very great facilities for experi- 
menting, furnished by the mov. comb hive. It need hardly be added 
that all these winter examinations are injurious to bees^ 



APPENDIX. 477 

On Propagating the Italian Bee. 

The Baron of Berlepsch thinks that wlien a Queen is re- 
duced to a torpid condition by cold, the contents of her sper- 
nnatheca are injured, so that she is never after capable of lay- 
ing worker eggs. It occurred to me that if his experiments 
on this point could be verified, it would be an easy matter, 
at any time, by refrigerating a queen, to change her into a 
drone-layer and thus have a supply of Italian drones for im- 
pregnating newly raised queens. Thus far, hov^ever, my ex- 
periments do not at all support the Baron's observations. Dr. 
Leidy has examined several refrigerated queens and found 
the contents of their spermatheca to be uninjured. One 
queen was reduced to a torpid condition and then restored, 
and after this process was repeated several times, she was 
returned to her colony. An examination of the sealed brood 
in this hive a few weeks later, showed that it was all regu- 
lar working brood ! I would propose a method by which 
drone laying queens can be easily obtained, at any time when 
they are wanted. Let a person receiving an Italian queen 
so late in the season that she does not incline to lay drone 
eggs, proceed as follows : E.aise from her worker-eggs, a 
few queens, and confine them to their hives, by adjusling 
the entrances, for about twenty-four days. Their impreg- 
nation being thus delayed, (p. 39,) they Vv'iil ever after pro- 
duce only drones. As soon as these queens begin to lay, 
the proper steps may be taken to raise from the original 
Italian queen, others to be impregnated by these drones. A 
person receiving an Italian queen in July might thus suc- 
ceed in replenishing his Apiary in September, with her pro- 
geny impregnated by Italian drones. In consulting the old 
Greek and Latin writers who have noticed the Italian bee, I 
find no mention made of its superior gentleness, except by 
Columella, who speaks of it as being " mitior moribus," that 
is, more peaceable in its behavior, than the common kind. 

Feb. 14th. To-day, the thermometer being 45° in the 
shade, and the atmosphere calm and clear, the bees have 
filled the air with their happy hum, and although the ground 
has been covered with snow, very few have failed to return 
to their hives. A careful examination of my stocks shows 



478 APPENDIX. 

that they have wintered unusually well, notwiihslanding the 
intense cold. The bees are very numerous and in perfect 
health. When upward ventilation is given them, I find no 
difficult}^ even in the coldest weather, in getting them to eat 
sugar candy put on top of their frames. Mr. Wagner in- 
forms me that some of the Germans complain that hives thus 
ventilated, are so dry in Winter that the bees have not 
moisture enough for their brood. 1 have experienced no 
such difficulty in my hives this Winter, but if it should oc- 
cur, it might easily be obviated by occasionally pouring a 
little luke-warm water among the bees. This would usually 
be advisable when the weather in February and March is 
such as to prevent the bees from flying out. I can speak 
very favorably of the plan of elevating the frames, (p. 327,) 
as I find that the bees have wintered best in such hives. 
Although I do not recommend disturbing bees in Winter, 
still 1 can, on any emergency, not only feed them, but 
thoroughly examine all their combs and transfer them to 
another hive, and this wiih the loss of only a few bees. 

On Sweedish White Clover. 

A correspondent of the " Frauendnrfer Blatter,'''^ Nov. 
16ih, 1856, inquires : 

"Does the new Sweedish Clover {TrifoUum hyhridum) 
deserve the high encomiums it receives, and in what does 
its superiority consist .?" 

To this, the editor, E. Furst, himself good authority, 
replies : 

" The hybrid clover is really to be recommended ; and 
though it is as yet but little cultivated, will doubtless in a few 
years, be very generally introduced. In both quality and 
quantity of product it is pre-eminently distinguished, and is 
especially valuable for the continued succulency of the 
stalk, even where the plant is in full bloom. It requires a 
less tertile soil than the red clover, and is less liable to be 
thrown out by frost in Winter. It also yields a heavier second 
crop than the common white clover. V\^e add a report on its 
culture, received from a farmer in Smalcald, who says : " 1 
sowed it with barley in a light soil with a dry subsoil. The 



APPENDIX, 479 

previous crop was tobacco, well manured. In the Fall, the 
hybrid clover had completely covered the ground. In 1854, 
it grew luxuriantly, attained a height of three feet, and threw 
out numerous side shoots where ihe heads or blossom buds 
were formed. It was m.uch more succulent and produced a 
heavier first crop than the red clover growing by its side. It 
matured twelve days later. The second crop of the hybrid 
clover was however much lighter than that of the red. I 
had some of each cut and placed before my cattle, which 
left the red clover untouched, till they had eaten up the 
hybrid." (S. Wagner.) 



On making artificial swarms adhere, like natural 
swarms, to their new location. 

Dr. Donhoff says : " On an evening when the next day 
promises to be clear and warm, drive out a sv.'arm, place 
the parent hive in a dark cellar, put the swarm in a shallow 
box, and set it in the place of the parent stock. Next day, 
when the temperature has become warm, pour a quantity of 
honey among the bees in the box, and in a few hours they 
will swarm, and may then be set in a new place and the pa- 
rent hive restored to its former position." If the box was 
turned over, the bees would be more sure to leave it. By 
dividing one such swarm, or a natural swarm, or any swarm 
brought from a distance, into five or six parts, (pp. 223, 291,) 
as many artificial swarms may be easily made, if the Apiari- 
an has suitable stocks from which to make them ; these may 
be placed on the stands of the parent hives, which may be 
safely removed to a new position, by giving to them their 
proper share of the divided swarm. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 



Description of Wood-Cuts of the various styles of 
movable comb hives, with bills of stock for making 

THEM, 

These engravings, (with the exception of those which are 
in perspective,) are all on the scale of 1^ inches to the foot, so 
that every |- of an inch, is an inch in a hive of the full size. 
All the measurements are inches or fractions of an inch. 
The thickness of stock used, is mostly |^ths of an inch, 
but the measurements here given can be easily varied, to 
suit any thickness that may be most convenient. In making 
a lot of hives, there will be scarcely any waste, as pieces 
which otherwise would be refuse, are used for the frames. 
Good stock will prove much the cheapest in the end. 

Those not accustomed to longitudinal and cross sections, 
will be greatly assisted by the perspective views. In the 
longitudinal sections, the hive is represented as sawed in 
two, from front to rear, and in the cross sections, from side 
to side. All the parts supposed to be cut by the saw, are 
marked by cross lines : the parts which though not cut can 
be seen after the cutting, are also represented in the engrav- 
ings. Any measurement may be proved by applying an ac- 
curate rule to the sections. 

The reader will bear in mind that those only who have 
purchased the patent right, (Ministers of the Gospel except- 
ed,) can legally use these hives. For terms, see p. 12. 

PLATE I. Figs. 1, 2 and 3, Hive No. 1. 

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hive of the simplest 
form, the cover being removed to show one of the frames ; 
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 3, a vertical 
cross section of the same. 
41 



482 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

I Front of hive, 14|- by 8| by f ; I rear, 14| by 9f by |-. 
ec Sides of hive, 19|^ by 10 by |^. d d Strips on front 
and rear of hive, 15|^ by 1|- byf. / Movable cover to 
hive, 25|- by 18^ by f . g g Clamps on cover, 25| by | by 
|-. If a movable bottom-board is used, it may be made like 
the cover, and the rear and sides of the hive beveled, to avoid 
crushing bees, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Holes in the top 
cover may be made as in Fig. 21, and another hive of the 
same form set on it, to receive the spare honey in movable 
frames. In all the hives it is best to have the spare 
honey stored in frames ; but boxes or any kind of recepta- 
cles may be set over the holes. For very hot climates the 
back of this hive may be made like the front, and by keep- 
ing both open in Summer, or the back covered with wire- 
gauze, the bees will have an abundance of air. 

Hive No. I with changes and additions. Figs 1, 2 and 3. 

h Front end of hive, 14|- by 8|- by |-. I Rear, 14|- by 
^^l by ■§-• c c Sides, 23|- by 10|- by I-, dd Strips on front 
and rear of hive, 15|- by 1^ by f. Permanent bottom put in 
as in Hive No 2,23 by 14l- by -|. / Movable Cover, 25^ by 
18i by I", g g Clamps on cover, 25J- by |- by |-. In this 
hive the alighting-board is sheltered, and the bottom board 
permanent ; the spare honey may be taken as in the former 
hive. 

Movable Comb-Frames, see Figs. 1, 2, 16, and 18. 

t Top piece, 19|- by |^ by y^g-. t Bottom piece, 17f by |- 
by |. u Triangular top comb-guide, coped at each end 
upon the triangular sides, 17f by |- by ^ by ^. uu Trian- 
gular sides cut off square at each end, 8| by |- by |- by |-. 
V Winter passage* cut square on the bottom, and coped upon 

* 1 have not yet experimented with this "Winter passage sufficiently 
to enable me to feel certain that it will answer the ends proposed. In 
my own Apiary, I prefer to cut with a small knife, a hole in the combs 
after the bees have ceased gathering in the Fall. This winter passage 
maybe put in the middle of the frame, (Fig. 2,) or further back, (Fig. 
16.) The first position is probably the best. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 483 

the top triangular comb-guide, so as to set corner-wise in 
the frame, 8| by f by f. A mortice, 4 by ^ may be cut 
through two opposite corners of this piece, to allow the bees 
to pass from comb to comb in the Winter. This mortice 
may be cut out with a circular saw by holding (zj), while 
pushing it down over the saw, in a groove formed in a 
piece of board such as is shown cut in (a), figs. 4 and 5. All 
the parts of the movable frames should be cut out by a circu- 
lar saw, and the measurements should be exact, so that the 
frames when nailed together may be perfectly square. If 
they are not both strong and square, the proper working of 
the hive will be greatly interfered with. Frames for holding 
spare honey in the upper apartment, need no Winter passage. 
Ten frames equally distant from each other, are placed in 
the lower hive, and nine in the upper, for spare honey. 

PLATE II. Figs. 4 and 5 show the Gage-board for sawing 
the copings of the movable comb-frames. 

Fig. 4 is a view, and Fig. 5, a cross section. 

a Foundation board, 20 by 10 by |-, with two grooves cut 
lengthwise in it, each making one half of a square that meas- 
ures fths. b h Guide strips for holding to be coped, the top 
triangular comb-guide {u) of the movable frames, 2 by |- by 
17J, beveled under on the inner edge, -^q. c c Gage slops for 
top triangular piece (u) of frame, so placed that said piece 
when the copings are sawed out, will be 17|ths in length. 
d d Gage stops so fixed in the grooves cut in (a), that the 
winter passages (r) when coped shall be Sfths in length. 
e Guide block, in w^hich block and the piece (a), the saw is 
guided in kerfs cut on an angle of 60° with the end. By the 
arrangement above described, ihe movable frames may be 
coped rapidly and accurately by hand. Coping the frames 
makes them very much stronger than mitering them ; it may 
be done with the circular saw. 

PLATE II. Figs. 6, 7 and 8, show the Gage-Block for fast- 
ening the movable frames together. 

Fig. 6, is a view of the front of this block, Fig. 8 a view 



484 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

of the back, and Fig. 7 is a cross section of the front and 
back. 

a Foundation board, 2 If by 9|- by |-. i h Guides for sides 
(mw), of frames fastened to {a) equally distant from its ends, 
and so as to leave 17§ihs between {h h) and ^ of an inch 
from upper edge of (a) to ends of (b b). c c Buttons for 
holding sides of frames {u u), against {b b), 6^ by 1^ by |-. 
Cut in one end of each button, a triangular groove corres- 
ponding to the shape of the sides of the frames, d d Guides 
for placing the Winter passage (y), 4 pieces, -^^ by 1 J- by 1^. 
One end of each piece is cut to a miter, so that when fasten- 
ed on {a), as shovi^n in Fig 6, two sides of a f^th square are 
formed. The upper edge of the upper guides is l|th from 
top edge of (a), and the lower edge of the lower guides is 
l^ths from the bottom of (a), ff Gu\des in which the top tri- 
angular comb-guide is placed, in order to have the top strip 
(t) nailed thereto ; each piece (/) is 21|^ by 2 by f , and 
they are beveled from one edge back, y^g, and are then fast- 
ened to (a), forming a triangular groove each side of which 
is |-ths. Two triangular pieces ^ by -| by |^ by 3 are cut 
on a miter at one end and fastened, (Fig. 6,) at each end of 
the groove, g Guide-strip, |- by y^^ by 19|^. h Guide-strip 
|- '^y T^6" by 8f, fixed on and across the pieces {ff ) ^ an 
inch from their ends. To nail the frames together, put the 
triangular comb-guide (w) in the groove formed by the 
pieces (//); place the piece (/-) on the top of {u) and 
against the guides (g) and (A), and nail it to (u) with two 
brads each about two inches from the end. Proceed in this 
way until all the triangular guides are nailed to the top 
strips. Now turn over the gage-block and secure the verti- 
cal pieces [u w), against the guides {bb)^ by the buttons (c c), 
and nail the bottom (t) to (w u) with two brads at each end. 
Turn the gage-block, place the winter passage (v) in the 
guides {d rf), glue the copings and place the top of the frame 
(t) which has before been nailed to the guide (w), in its 
proper position, and nail it to (uu) with two brads in each 
end, and to the Winter passage (v) with one brad. When 
the gage-block is turned for the next frame, put a brad 
through the bottotn (t) into the Winter passage {v), before 
turning the buttons and removing the frame. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 485 



PLATE III. Fig. 10 shows the arrangement of the circular 

saw to cut the triangular comb-guides. 

The first piece cut is waste ; as fast as a guide is sawed, the 
piece from which it is cut, must be turned over, end for end. 

PLATES III, V and VI. Figs. U, 12, 17 and 19 show the 
construction and position of the Entrance-Regulators. 

Fig. 11, is a right angled triangle |-ths thick by 4 by 5| by 7, 
Fig. 12, is a right angled triangle ^ inch thick, by 7 by 
4 by 5|-. In the bottom of the first piece, grooves are cut 
i deep by 4- f^n inch wide, as traps for the larvse of the bee- 
moth, (p. 269.) On the face of the second piece, strips -^^ 
of an inch thick are placed, two of which are ^ an inch wide 
and are placed as shown in Fig. 12, parallel with the 4 inch 
side, and so as to leave a space of J^ inches between them 
and the second artd third piece, which last piece is a right- 
angled triangle. In the spaces between the strips just men- 
tioned, cut Fig. 12 to a bevel of 45°. Now fasten very se- 
curely the two blocks, so that there will be no chance for 
any alteration of the ^^ inch passage, by warping or swell- 
ing. To test the accuracy of the -3%- inch strips, put four of 
them together and if they measure just fths, they will answer 
for confining the queen, (p. 201.) If there is no desire to 
prevent swarming,* then Fig, 11 will answer, Vv^ithout the ad- 
dition of Fig. 12. Two of these doubled blocks, made right 
and left are used for a hive. When Figs. 11 and 12 are 
fastened together, the corner made by the meeting of the 7 
inch and 5|- inch sides, should be very slightly clipped, so 
that the 7 inch side will measure a scant -|- of an inch less than 
7 inches. To confine the queen, turn over the blocks and 
■place them with ihe 7 inch sides against the front of the hive, 
keeping them pushed up close to each other. To confine the 
drones (p. 455,) or to shut them out, (p. 202,) leaving the 
queen room to pass, put the blocks in the same position, only 
pushing them about -^^ of an inch apart. By varying the 
position of these blocks on the alighting-board, (see Fig. 17, 

*The Author has not experimented sufficiently on this plan of pre- 
venting swarming, to be able fully to endorse it ) (see p. 203.) 

41* 



486 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

in which some of the positions are shown,) the size of the 
entrance to the hive, may be varied in a great many ways, 
and the bees always directed, by the shape of the blocks, to 
the entrance, without any loss of time in searching for it. 

Movable Partition ; (No Figure.) 

One piece, 18|- by 9f by |-, each end made ^ inch bevel- 
ing for easy adjustment ; the bevels should be parallel to 
each other. One piece, f by |- by 19f , nailed on the first 
piece, like the top piece (t) of the movable comb frames. By 
this partition the size of any hive may be diminished at will. 

PLATES III and IV. Figs. 9 and 13, Hive No. 2. 

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 13, a ver- 
tical cross section. 

This hive is doubled on the front and rear, has a perma- 
nent bottom-board, a sheltered alighting board, and a top- 
cover over the spare honey-box. Glass may be put in the 
back, as in hive No. 4, or in the sides. 

a Bottom-board, tongued and grooved, 24|- by 14|- by ^. 
h Front and rear of body, four pieces, each 14| long and |- 
thick, by 10|-, 9-|, 9|- and 8|- wide, c Sides of body, two 
pieces, 25f by 10|- by |-, one corner, 4 by 1|^ cut out of each. 
d Ledges on body, two pieces, |^ by 2 by 22f, and one 
piece, |- by 1^ by 15|-. e Roof of alighting board, 4^ by |- 
by 19|-, beveled on upper side from ^ an inch in thickness, 
back 3 inches ; (see Figs. 9 and 20. /"Board for support- 
ing surplus honey-receptacles, 21-| by i7|- by |-. §• Clamps 
for spare honey-board, two pieces, f by |- by 2I|-. h Front 
and rear of spare honey-box, one piece 9f by 14^ by f ; two ■ 
pieces 1|- by 14i by ^. i Sides of spare honey-box, two 
pieces, 19|^ by 10 by |-. j Ledge around top of honey box, 
two pieces 17|- by i^ by |, and two pieces 19|- by 1^- by |-. 
k Cover for honey-box, 21f by 17| by f. I Clamps for 
honey-box cover, two pieces, i by |- by 17|. m Observing- 
glass in honey-box, 5^ by 14. n Strips against which the 
glass is fastened, two pieces, 14| by -| by ^^ and two pieces, 
^¥ ^y f by^-. Top of cover, tongued and grooved, 26f by 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 487 

22f by |-. p Front and rear of upper part of cover, two 
pieces, 8^ by 19|^ by |-. q Sides of upper part of cover, two 
pieces 8f by 22^ by ^. r Front and rear of lower part of 
cover, two pieces, 5 by 19f by|-. s Sides of lower part of 
cover, two pieces, 5 by 22^ by |-. lu Buttons for holding 
the upper and lower parts of cover together, four, 2 by ] by 
^ ; the upper inside part of these buttons is beveled, to allow 
the upper part of the cover to set down readily on the lower 
part. 

PLATE IV. Figs. 14 and 15, Hive No. 3. 
Fig. 14 is a side view, and Fig. 15, a vertical cross section. 
This hive is intended solely for observation ; (p. 437.) 
a F)ase-board, 24f by 4^ by |-. A f of an inch entrance- 
hole is bored 3J- inches deep into the end of (a), and two 
holes are bored in its centre, f of an inch in diameter and 1^ 
inches from center to center, the wood being cut out between 
them, h Bottom of hive, 2^ by 18f by |-. Make a rabbet 
at both upper corners, f of an inch on, by -^-^ deep. Start a 
"I of an inch hole, one inch from the end, and bore slanting, 
to meet entrance-hole in {a) and make a hole in the center, 
to match center hole in (a), for a ventilator, and cover with 
wire-gauze, on the inside, c Front and rear of hive, I^ by 
2^ by 10|^. Rabbet the inner corners, up and down, ^ by f. 
Make a ventilator in each piece, like the one in (a). |r of an 
inch from the upper ends, cut in ^ of an inch, and |- of an 
inch from the lower end, cut in ^ of an inch, d Side strips, 
f by 1 by 20|- ; on one corner of each, rabbet on, ^ of an 
inch and in, -^ of an inch for the glass, e Movable cover, 
21|-by4^by^; holes maybe made in this cover, as in 
Fig. 21, over which glass receptacles for honey may be 
placed. /Glass, two panes, 9^ by 18^. ^Alighting-board, 
4 by 4^ by ^. li Clamps on base-board, 4^ by 2 by ^. 
i and 7 Clamps on cover, and ledges on hive, four pieces, 4^ 
by I- by i.. 

PLATES V AND VI. Figs. 16 and 18, Hive No. 4. 
Fig. 16 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 18, a 
vertical cross section. 

This hive has glass on the back, and being doubled on the 



488 EXPLANATION OE PLATES. 

inside, affords uncommon protection against the weather. I 
have given no bill of stock for its construction, as I recom- 
mend those who want a doubled hive, to make the glass hive 
No. 5, the cost of which will not be very much greater. 
This hive can be built by applying an accurate rule to the 
engravings. 

PLATES VI TO X. Figs. 19, to 23, Hive No. 5. 

Fig. 19 is a perspective view with the cover down. Fig. 20 
is a perspective view with the cover elevated, so as to show 
the working of the bees, both in ihe main hive and the upper 
honey-box. Fig. 21 is a plan of the lower part of the hive, 
showing the surplus honey-board, in place, and the holes 
made in it, to allow the bees to pass up into the surplus 
honey-receptacles. On this board receptacles of glass or 
wood, of any size or shape, may be set, instead of the upper 
box. Fig. 22 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 23, 
a vertical cross section. This hive has glass on four sides, 
and is admirably adapted to purposes of general observation. 
A cornice under the projecting roof of the cover, would im- 
prove its appearance. 

a Main bottom of hive, tongued and grooved, 31 by 20f 
by I-, h Outer* bottom of hive, 27^ by i8| by f. c Rabbet- 
ed strips for outer bottom, two pieces, 29|- by 1^ by f, and 
two pieces, 17^ by 1^ by ^. d Front and rear of lower 
outer case of hive, one rabbet in upper outer corner of each, 
T¥ by To '■> fi'ont, 11^ by 20f by |^; cut out of the centre of 
the lower edge, 14^ by ^ ; rear, 4^ by 20f by |-. e Sides 
of lower outer part, with rabbets the same as front and rear, 
(for form of this see Fig. 20,) two pieces, 3]|- inches long, 
by f of an inch thick, 4|^ inches wide at one end, and 12^ 
inches wide at 4|^ inches from the other end, where a notch 
is cut out, ly^g- inches deep, by 4 inches long, f Roof of 
alighting-board, 23|^ by 4^ by |- ; |- of an inch thick in rear, 
and ^ of an inch thick in front, g Board under which bees 
pass into the hive, 14^ by 4 by 4-- h Front posts of lower 
hive, two pieces, 9|- inches long by 4 by |-. i Rear posts of 

* This outer bottom may be dispensed with. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 489 

lower hive, two pieces, with tenon, |^ by |^ by |, on one end, 
10 inches long, by If- by |-. j Front and rear strips of 
lower hive, in which the frames hang, two pieces, 15|^ by 
If by |-, with rabbet, |- by f, and notch, f by |^, cut at each 
end from upper side, k Side strips from post to post, in 
lower hive, 21|- by f by f, with notch, ^ deep by If, cut in 
under side of each end. / Spare honey-board M^ by 2!|- by 
I", nine holes bored If inches in diameier, by ^ of an 
inch deep, and then bored through with a 1^ inch bit. 
These holes when not in use are covered with pieces of tin, 
cut out with a punch. They may be bored plain and cover- 
ed with pieces of glass or wood, m Front and rear of lower 
part of cover, 6f by 20f by ^, rabbets (Fig. 22,) -J-^ by ^-q, 
on both upper and lower edges, n Sides of lou'er part of 
cover, two pieces, 27|- inches from front to rear, by 6f by 
|-, with rabbets -Jq by y'g- ; for shape of these pieces, see Fig. 
20. o Front and rear of upper part of cover, one piece, 5|- 
by 20f by f, and one piece, 134- by 20f by f. p Sides of 
upper part of cover, two pieces, each 5| and 13^, by 27|- by 
|-, with rabbets, f'g- by ^g : for shape, see Fig. 20. 

q Top of cover, tongued and grooved from front to 
rear, and rain-grooved on top, (Figs. 19 and 23,) 24f 
by 30f by |-. r Honey-box cover, 2 If by 19|- by f, 
5 Clamps for honey-box cover, two pieces, 21f by |- by f. 
1. Division-board in honey-box, (shown only in Fig. 23,) 8|- by 
■^^8" by f- Such a board may be used in the surplus honey- 
boxes of all the hives, and enables ihe bee-keeper to get his 
spare honey on small frames, (when these boxes are lodged 
on the sides, as well as the front and rear,) or on large ones, 
or on part small and part large. 2. Triangular cheeks to hold 
the cover when elevated, two pieces. If by If by 2f by f. 
3. Four buttons, ]| by 2 by |^. w Posts of honey-box, four 
pieces. If by 8|^ by f. x Front and rear boLiom-strips of 
honey-box, two pieces. If by 15|- by f . y Side-bottom 
strips of honey-box, two pieces 2if by f by ^. x and y are 
halved tosjether at ends. % Front, rear, and side top pieces 
of honey-box, made up of two strips. If by f by 17f, two 
strips If by f by 2if , halved together at ends ; and two 
strips, 17f by |- by f , two strips, 19f by |- by f. 4. Clamps 
for spare honey-board, two pieces, 2 If by |- by |-. Glass, 



490 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

two pieces, 14 by 9, four pieces 18 by 9, and two pieces, 
4 by 8, for the double glass of lower hive ; two pieces 18 by 
8, and two pieces 14 by 8, for the spare honey-box. 



DESCRIPflON OF IMPLEMENTS USED IN THE APIARr. 

PLATE XI, Figs. 24 to 30. 

Fig. 24 is a box for storing surplus honey, (p. 379.) 

Fig. 25 is a Bee-Hat, (p. 423 ) 

Fig. 26 is a box for feeding bees, (p. 356.) 

Fig. 27 is an India Rubber Glove, (p. 424.) 

Fig. 28, shoemaker's pincers, a convenient tool for many 

operations in the Apiary. 
Fig. 29 is a knife for cutting the connbs from a box-hive. 
Fig. 30 is a scraper for cleaning the bottom-board, (p. 327.) 



Description of Wood-Cuts pf Bees and Combs illus- 
trating THE natural history OF THE HoNEY-BeE, 

PLATE XII, Figs. 31 to 36. 

Figs. 31, 32, Queen of magnified and natural size. 
Figs. 33, 34, Drone of magnified and natural size. 
Figs. 35, 36, Worker of magnified and natural size. 
These illustrations may be found in "Bagster on Bees." 



PLATE XIII. Figs. 37 to 46. 

Fig. 37 shov^rs the scales of wax, (highly magnified,) as 
they exude from the wax-pouches, (p. 77.) 

Fig. 38 is the abdomen of a worker-bee, magnified, and 
showing the exuding scales of wax. 

Fig. 39 is a section of a magnified cell, showing an egg 
in the position in which it is usually deposited by the queen. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 491 

Fig. 42 is a worker-larva fully grown and ready lo en- 
velop itself in a cocoon, (p. 49.) 

Fig. 43. Worker-Nympii or Pupa, (p. 49.) 

Fig. 44 shows the eggs of the bee-moth, of natural and 
magnified size. 

Fig. 45 is a larva of the bee-moth, fully grown and ready 
to envelop itself in a cocoon, (p. 245.) 

Fig. 46 is a web or gallery of the kind often spun by the 
larva of the bee-moth, in which its protects itself from the 
bees, (p. 248.) 

These illustrations have been taken principally from the 
works of Swammerdam, Reaumer and Huber. 

PLATE XIV. Fig. 47. 

This Plate, (see p. 73) was copied with some important 
additions, from a wood-cut in Cotton's " My Bee-Book." 

h A queen-cell from which the inmate has not yet emerged. 

a A queen-cell, with the cap or lid as it often appears, just 
after the young queen has come out. 

d A queen-cell whose inmate has met with a violent 
death, (p. 148.) 

c The remains of a queen-cell which the bees have nearly 
demolished, (p. 149.) 

n A cell in which the bees have just begun to rear, artifi- 
cially, a young queen, (p. 73.) 

e Cells containing honey, some full and sealed over, and 
others only partially sealed. 

/Cells with eggs, larvse and hatching bees. 

g Drone-cells containing brood capped over by the bees. 

p A hole in the comb showing its depth. 

PLATE XV. Figs. 48, 49, and 50. 

Fig. 48 is a piece of honey-comb with cells of the size of 
nature. Those on the right hand, are of drone, and those 
on the left, of worker size. The five-sided cells between 
them, show how bees pass from one size of cell to another. 

This accurate and beautiful representation of comb, was 
drawn from nature, by M. M. Tidd, of Boston, Mass., and 
engraved by D. T. Smith of the same city. 



492 EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

Fig. 40 shows a number of worker-larvse of different ages. 

Fig. 41 is a section of a magnified cell, showing the posi- 
tion of the larva in the cell, (p. 48.) 

Fig. 49 is a queen-cell, of the natural size. 

Fig. 50 is a queen-cell cut open to show the position of 
the unhatched queen. At its base may be seen the royal 
jelly ; (p. 70.) ^^^^ 

PLATE XVL Figs. 51 AND 52. 

Fig, 51 shows the Proboscis of a worker-bee, highly mag- 
nified ; (Swammerdam.) The central tube(a) is used for 
sucking up the honey, and the other parts for pushing aside 
the petals of flowers, and for various other purposes. 

Fig. 52 shows the abdomen of a worker, magnified. 



PLATE XVII, Figs. 53 and 54. 

Fig. 53 Shows the magnified sting of a worker; (Swam- 
merdam.) (a) is the poison bag. The muscles on each side 
of the sling serve to drive it into the wound, and all the 
parts represented, are torn from the body of the bee, when 
she loses her sting, (p. 62.) 

Fig. 54, (Reaumur,) shows the honey-bag(a), stomach(&), 
intestines(c), and rectum (o), of a worker. The honey-bag 
is not entirely filled. 



PLATE XVIIL Fig. 55, Ovaries of the Queen. 

(h) and (g) are the two ovaries (p. 38) uniting in a com- 
mon oviduct (e). - cZ is the spermalheca ; an egg is repre- 
sented as passing through the oviduct, by the mouth of this 
seminal reservoir, to be impregnated, r is the rectum, and 
(a) the poison-sack. The sting is more curved than that of 
the worker. 



Plate I. 



Fig. 1. 





Fis. 




Fig. 8. 



li 



liiiiii^ 







iiiiiiiiiiiiililiiiiliiiii^^ 



Plate III. 



Fig. 9. 




Fig. 10. 




Fi-. 13. 



Plat£ IV. 




Fig. 15, 




Fiy:. 16. 



Plate V. 




Fi-. I8. 



Plate VI. 




Fio-. 19. 




Fig:. 20. 



Plate VII. 




Fiff. 21. 



Plate VIII. 




Plate IX. 




Fig. 23. 



Plate X. 




Fig. 24 




Ficj. 31. 




Plate XII. 



Fis. 82. 




Fia". o't 



X X, 




Pe4te XIIL 



Fm. as. 




Fioc. 39. 



Fig. 40. 





m 



Ficr. 42 



Ficr. 4'. 




Fig. 44. 




Fig. 45. 




Fi<^. 47. 



Plate XIV. 




\^., 



Fi<?. 48. 



Plate XY. 




Fi- ol. 



'LAih; XVI.. 




Fi-. 52, 




Fi^. 5S. Plate XVII. 





Fig. 55. Plate XVIII. 




INDEX, 



A. 



Advantages required in good 
hives, 98-113. 

After-swarming, may be pre- 
vented in mov. comb hive, 106 ; 
causes and signs of, 148 ; pip- 
ing of queen, an indication of, 
149 ; seriously reduces strength 
of parent stock, 151; prevented 
in mov. comb hive, by removing 
supernumerary queen-cells, 152 ; 
excessive, exposes parent stock 
to bee-moth, 260. 

After-swarms, easily strengthened 
in mov. comb hive, 106 ; when 
to expect, 150 ; often issue in bad 
weather, 150 ; often have more 
than one queen, 150 ; returning 
of, to parent stock, laborious, 
163 ; usually unprofitable, 207 ; 
danger of contention of, when 
united to first swarms, 213 j 
usually abandon hive, on loss of 
queen, 293 ; usually build regu- 
lar worker-comb, 462. 

Age, of Queen-Bee, 53 ; of colo- 
nies, extraordinary instances of, 
65 ; of worker-bees, brevity of 
proved from Italian bee, 64, 443 ; 
of colonies, not to be confounded 
with that of individual bees, 65 ; 
of bees composing a swarm, 147. 

Agricultural Implements, better 
tests of, needed, 404. 

Air, bees need little in winter, if 
kept warm and dry, 120 ; pure, 

42 



necessary for eggs, brood and 
mature bees, 126j quality of, 
more important to health of 
man, than quality of food, 129; 
thin hives need much, in win- 
ter, 117, 325 ; blowing of cold, 
on bees, subdues them, 319. 

Air-tight Stoves, deficient in ven- 
tilation, 133. 

Alighting-board, importance of 
sheltering against wet, 109 ; 
conv 
hive, 399. 

Americans, their love of sham 
cheapness, 123. 

Anger of bees, difficult to repress, 
if not done before it is fully 
aroused, 193 ; excited by quick 
motions, 194 ; caused by dysen- 
tery, 277 ; remarks on, 406-419 ; 
when dangerous, 410 ; excited 
by uncleanly persons, 414, by 
breathing on them, 414, and by 
improper treatment, 418 ; how to 
act, when excited, 418; should 
never be violently repelled, 418. 

Ants, white, fecundity of female of, 
34 ; Amazon, curious habits of, 
426. 

Aphides, singular mode of propa- 
gation of, 46 ; cause honey-dews, 
372. 

Apiarians, see Bee-Keepers. 

Apiaries, enclosed, objectionable, 
122 ; two, some miles apart, 
recommended by Dzierzon, 221 ; 
crowded, how to manage, 291 ; 



612 



7 



INDEX. 



proper location of, 299-302 ; 
should not be exposed to high 
winds, 300 ) should have a 
southern exposure, in cold cli- 
mates, 300 ; how to procure 
bees, to start, 302-307 ; how to 
change location of, without loss 
of bees, 317 ; large ones in Rus- 
sia and Hungary, 394 ; advan- 
tageously surrounded by high 
fence, 4i4 ; must be watched in 
swarming season, 461. 

Apple-tree, blossoms of, abound in 
honey, 382. 

Aristotle, on the similarity of 
drone and worker eggs, 45 ; on 
depriving bees of surplus stores, 
431 ; on etfect of smoke on bees, 
(note) 431 ; en Italian bee, 440 ; 
great merits of, as an observer, 
(note) 463 ; on loss of stocks, by 
bee-moth, (note) 463. 

Artificial, rearing of queens, de- 
scribed, 73 ; operations, best 
performed Vv^hen honey is plenty, 
219. 

Artificial swarming, recommended 
by Columella, 171 ; disadvantage 
of, in Huber's hive, 172 ; di- 
viding-hives, not adapted to, 
173 ; ought not to be practiced 
with little brood-comb and no 
queen, 175 ; how managed in 
the common hive, 180-187 ; by 
driving bees from old hive, 180- 
187, 479 ; how managed in 
mov. comb hive, 187; time of 
day for, ISO, 185, 190 ; requires 
good acquaintance with natural 
history of bees, 186 ; directions 
for easy performance of, in mov. 
comb hive, 187 ; advantages of 
mov. comb hive, for, 204 ; an 
unprofitable method of, 229 ; by 
driving bees into upper cover of 
mov. comb hive, 461. 

Artificial Swarms, should be put 
on stand of parent stock, 183, 
479 ; cautions as to location of, 
183 ) how I o know whether they 



have a queen, 188; may be 
made to accept a strange queen, 
189 : quickly made, in mov'. 
comlD hive, 198 ; how to make 
one, from every two old stocks, 
211 ; how to make quickly, 
early in morning, 221 ; how to 
make, by .slightly changing po- 
sition of parent stock, 292. 

Asters, many varieties of, abound 
in honey, 391. 

Attica, great numbers of hives, in, 
398. 

Avarice, in men and beeS; cons- 
pared, 369. 

Axioms, bee keeper's, 467. 



B. 



Baldenstein, Capt., first called at- 
tention to merits of Italian bee, 
441; experiments of, with 
Italian bee, 442-444 ; difficulties 
of, in propagating pure breed; 
442. 

Basket, used as a hiver, 157. 

Bass-wood, see Linden. 

Bee-Bread, see Pollen. 

Bee-Dress, use of, recommended. 
423. 

Bee-Glue, see Propolis. 

Bee-Hat, author's, described, 423 ; 
wood-cut of, PI. XI, Fig. 25. 

Bee-Journal, more than one in 
Germany, 23 ; much needed in 
this country, 23. 

Bee-Keepers, old fashioned, why 
successful, 112 ; credulous and 
careless, ''have no luck," 241 ; 
often reject the best established 
facts, 242 ; careless, cannot be 
secured against bee-moth, 243, 
helped, with difficulty, 269, and 
should give up bee-keeping, 270 ; 
inexperienced, should begin on 
a small scale, 306 ; should know 
honey-resources of their district, 
391 ; in what respects should 
imitate Napoleon, 392 ; calendar 
for, 458-467; axioms for, 467. 



INDEX. 



Bee-keeping, depressed condition 
of, in America, 13 ; why less 
profitable than formerly, 249 ; 
old fashioned mode of, described, 
250 ; profits of, 22, 401, 402 ; im- 
proved systems of, worthless to 
the ignorant or careless, 403 ; 
encouraged by European Gov- 
ernments, 403. 

Bee-Moth, how to preserve empty 
comb, from, 80, 259 ; lays eggs 
in propolis, 88 ; pernianent bot- 
tom-boards, a security against, 
101; often aided, by "moth- 
proof" hives, 242; habits of, 
described, 243-272 ; season of 
its appearance about hives, 243 ; 
habits of, not entirely nocturnal, 
243 ; diflerence between m.ale 
and female, 244 ; very agile on 
foot and wing, 244; watehful- 
laess of bees against, 244 ; leaves 
hive, for impregnation, 247 ; 
only larvse of, destroy the combs, 

247 ; how she lays her eggs, 247 ; 
most destructive in hot climates, 

248 ; careless bee-keepers cannot 
be secured against, 269 ; danger- 
ous to feeble colonies, 256 ; lays 
eggs in combs unprotected by 
bees, 256 ; high temperature 
needed for hatching eggs of, 
259 ; how to destroy eggs of, in 
empty comb, 260 ; injurious 
mostly, to queenless stocks, 261; 
sagacity of, in detecting queen- 
less stocks, 262 ; not the primary 
cause of the ruin of queenless 
stocks, 264 ; Judge Fishback's 
observations on, 265 ; how ex- 
cluded from hives, 266 ; cannot 
be kept out of queenless hives, 
266 ; curious device for exclud- 
ing from hives, 267 ; importance 
of destroying larva? of, in early 
spring, 267 ; fond of sweets, 270 ; 
H. K. Oliver's observations on, 
270 ; serves an important end 
289 ; some, usually found about 
healthy stocks, 289 : to be dread- 



ed chiefly, on account of rava- 
ges in empty combs, 289 ; was 
destructive to qiieenless hives, 
more than 2000 years ago, (note) 
464 ; eggs of, PI. XIII, Fig, 40. 

Bee-Moth, Larvse of, wax their 
proper food, 245 ; ravages of, 
245 ; time of development of, 
245 ; how and where they spin 
cocoons, 245 ; motions of, very 
nimble, 246 ; manner of growth 
of, 246 ; how they protect them- 
selves against bees, 247 ; de- 
stroy the combs, 247 ; how to 
learn when hive is infested with, 
257 ; importance of destroying, 
in early spring, 267 ; how to 
trap, 268, and how to destroy, 
when in possession of hive, 270 ; 
wood-cut of, Fl. XIII, Fig. 45. 

Bee-Palaces, objections to, 67. 

Bees, Honey, can be easily tamed, 
25-30 ; easy management of, 
surprises the unitiated, 25 ; in- 
tended for man's comfort, 26 ; 
gorged with honey, never volun- 
teer an attack, 26, 408 ; when 
swarming, full of honey, and 
therefore peaceable, 27 ; always 
accept of offered sweets, 28 ; 
gorge themselves when frighten- 
ed, 29 ; subdued by smoke, or 
drumming on their hives, 29 ; 
can live only in a colony state, 
30 ; a whole colony of, need 
never be exasperated, 30, 410, 
417 ; three kinds of, in a colony. 
31; how afi'ected by loss of 
queen, 33 ; intelligence of, 53, 
68, 94 ; age of, 64 ; industry of 
aged, instructive, 65 ; number 
of, in a colony, why limited, 67 ; 
advantages of their being able 
to winter in a colony state, 68 ; 
superstitions connected with, 89 j 
natural history of, proves exist- 
ence of an all-wise Creator, 93 ; 
should not be needlessly dis- 
turbed, 98, 209 ; need protection 
against dampness and extremes 



514 



INDEX. 



of temperature, 114-124; not 
torpid in cold weather, 114 ; per- 
ish when frozen, 114, 137; 
maintain a high temperature in 
winter, 114 ; may starve in 
winter, with honey in hive, 115 ; 
winter best, when kept quiet, 
116 ; when healthy, do not dis- 
charge fsBces in hive, 1 16 ; wild 
colonies of, often flourishing, 
118 ; when they require but 
little air, 120 ; moisture from, 
freezes and may destroy them, 
120 ; when disturbed, require 
much air, 126 ; become diseased 
when the air of the^ hive is im- 
pure, 127 ; why they do not clus- 
ter on sealed honey, in hot 
weather, 127 ; skill of, in venti- 
lation, a reproof to men, 128 ; 
sometimes abandon hive, from 
famine, 143 ; inter-communicate 
quickly on the wing, 145 ; sight 
of, for distant object, acute, 145 ; 
when swarming, reluctant to 
enter heated hives, 155 ; will 
not form independent colonies 
in inter-communicating hives, 
177 ; self-colonizing of, without 
swarming, impracticable, 177 ; 
disposition of, when moved, to 
return to old location, 184 ; re- 
turning from labor, do not at- 
tack, 191 ; adhere tenaciously to 
combs, 196 ; wax-working and 
nursing, difference between, 218 ; 
how they act, when another hive 
is put in place of their own, 219 ; 
energy and perseverance of, 220 ; 
when confined, need water, 222 ; 
act of swarming, indisposes to 
return to parent hive, 224 ; de- 
stroyed by falling into liquid 
sweets, 227, 367 ; watchfulness 
of, against bee-moth, 244 ; not 
indigenous to America, 248 ; 
killing of, more humane than 
starving of, 253 ; often flourish 
in rudest hives, 255 ; swallowed 
with impunity by birds and toads, 



274 ; when dispirited by hunger, 
do not guard against bee-moth, 
290 ; agitation of, when queen 
leaves for impregnation, or is 
lost, 293 ; from different colo- 
nies, how to prevent from mix- 
ing, 310; robbing, compared to 
extortioners, 314; recognize 
their hive companions, by sense 
of smell, 316; killing of, unne- 
cessary, 321 ; in very cold 
weather, may require moving 
temporarily to a warm room, 
326 ; when wintering out of 
doors, should not be shut up en- 
tirely, 327; sometimes act the 
part of highway robbers, 338 ; 
often perish in confectioners' 
shops, 368; when gorged with 
honey, reluctant to fly, 378 ; 
usually fly for food some dis- 
tance from hive, 399 ; many de- 
stroyed by negligent arrange- 
ments, 400 ; capacity of, for 
labor, limited, 400 ; wonderfully 
subject to human control, 406 ; 
may be handled with impunity, 
406 ; when healthy, not inclined 
to sting, unless molested, 409 ; 
do not act on the offensive, 
away from home, 410, 412 ; of 
same colony, never quarrel, 411 ; 
when sick or injured are expell- 
ed from hive, 411 ; sometimes 
recognize strange bees, though 
having the same smell, 417 ; 
actions of, when scolding, 418; 
instinct of, 424-429 ; may be 
stupified by ether or chloroform, 
461. 

Beetle, curious anecdote of, 427. 

Bees, Queen of, see*'Queen Bees. 

Beginners, should adhere closely 
to directions, 213 ; advised to 
start on a small scale, 306. 

Berg,Rev.Dr. first informed author, 
of Dzierzon's discoveries, 17. 

Berlepsch, Baron of, experiments 
of, with Italian bee, 449 ; his 
method of propagating Italian 



INDEX. 



515 



bee, 450, 452 ; his experiments 
on effect of cold, on queens, 477. 

Bevan, on eggs and larvae of bees, 
48-51; remarks of, on instinct, 
425. 

Birds, some kinds of, eat bees, 
272 ; should not be killed for 
eating bees, 273 ; apostrophe 
to killers of, 273 ; sometimes 
catch queen-bees, 286. 

Blocks-Entrance-regulating, of the 
mov. comb, hive, for excluding 
moth and trapping worms, 268 ; 
prevent robbing, 340. 

Bodwell, J. C, experiments of, on 
wintering bees, 476. 

Bohemia, number of hives in, 398. 

Boiling honey, improves it, 374. 

Borage, blossoms of, very produc- 
tive of honey, 390. 

Bottom-Boards, permanent, ad- 
vantages of, lOi ; cleaning of, 
102, 257, 327 ; should not be be- 
low level of hive-entrance, 102 ; 
movable, chief objections to, re- 
moved by use of smoke, 471. 

Boxes, for spare honey, how to 
make, 379 ; should be tight, and 
have guides for comb, 380 ; 
must be transported with great 
care, 381 ; how timid persons 
can safely remove, from bees, 
381 ; wood-cut of PI. XI, Fig. 24. 
use of, requires judgment, 431. 

Braum, M. A., his statement of 
large quantity of honey gathered 
by a hive, in one daj^ 398. 

Breath, human, offensive to bees, 
194, 414; instance of strange 
effect caused by a sting, on odor 
of, 413, 

Breeding, ^' in and in,'' tends to 
degeneracy in bees, 58 ; early, 
encouraged by spring feeding, 
but checked by excessive feed- 
ing, 347. 

Brood, development of, how effect- 
ed by temperature, 50 ; de- 
stroyed by getting chilled, 50 ; 
production of, checked by ex- 

42* 



cess of honey, 201, 229, 347 j 
stocks that produce most, often 
deficient in honey, 228 ; how to 
promote increase of, 230 ; rob- 
bers sometimes neglect their 
own, 341; in spare honey-box, 
easily returned to bees, 378 ; 
found in hives in Winter, 474. 

Brood- Comb, see Comb. 

Brown, Hon. Simon, interesting 
observations of, in author's ob- 
serving hive, 234. 

Buckwheat, blossoms of, very valu- 
able to bees, $88 ; cultivation of, 
does not impoverish soil, 388; 
Dzierzon and A. Wells, on culti- 
vation of, 388. 

Burnens, great merits of, as an ob- 
server, 35 ; laborious experi- 
ments of, (note) 35. 

Busch, his description of Italian 
bees, 447. 



Cage, see Queen-Cage. 

Candy, Sugar, best substitute for 
honey, in feeding bees, 358 ; 
how to use, in common hives, 
358 _; not so apt to cause robbing, 
as liquid food, 359 ; dissolved, 
may be safely fed in cold weath- 
er, 359 ; recipe for making, 360 ; 
how to use grated, 470. 

Cellars, dry and dark, good for 
wintering bees, 116, 328-476. 

Cells, of bees, covers of, 48 ; ex- 
treme thinness of their sides, 
(note) 79 ; sizes of, 83 ; demon- 
strate existence of God, 85 ; 
wood-cuts of different kinds of, 
Plates XI\r and XV; shape of 
gives ventilation to larvas, 85. 

Cheapness, Americans prone to 
measure, by first cost of an 
article, 123, 281. 

Chickens, curious use of, to shut 
up hives, 267. 

Children, of the rich, compared to 
pampered bees, 348 ; may learn 



616 



INDEX, 



fr om bees, how lo treat their ' 
mothers, 411. 

Chloroform, bees may be stupified 
by, 461. 

Glover, white, the most important 
bee-plant, 384 ; may be profit- 
ably cultivated for hay, 384 ; 
grown on v/et soil, not so good 
for bees, 386 ; Swedish, value 
of, to cattle and bees, 386, 478. 

Clustering of swarms, 156. 

Cocoon, complete one, spun by 
drone and worker-larvce, 50 ; 
why that of queeli is incomplete, 
50 ; of larvae, never removed 
from cells, 65. 

Cold, protection of bees from, 114; 
how it may destroy strong colo- 
nies, 115, 472 ; causes increased 
activity of bees and consump- 
tion of honey, 116; weather, 
caution against disturbing bees 
in, 326 ; effect of severe and 
long continued, on colonies, 326 ; 
water, useful to drive aM^ay rob- 
bing bees, 344. 

Colonies; of bees, rapid increase of, 
in Australia, (note) 55, caution 
against, 204, diminishes yield of 
honey, and makes feeding ne- 
cessary, 205, 207 ; union of, 
danger of attempting with first 
and after- swarms, 213 ; large 
numbers of, kept in various 
places, 398. 
Color, aids bees in recognizing 
their hive, 186. 

Colunielia, directions of, for artifi- 
cial swarming, 171 ; noticed 
that Italian bees were more 
peaceable than the common 
kind, 477. 
Comb, when too old, may be easi- j 
ly removed from mov. comb 
hive, 66 ; very old, sometimes 
re-constructed by bees, 66 ; fre- 
quent removal of, unnecessary, 
60 ; materials of, secreted by 
bees, after feeding on liquid 
sweets, 77 ; wood-cuts of, repre- 



senting different kinds of celiS; 
Plates XlVand XV; empty, great 
value of, to bee-keeper, 80 ; how 
to fasten, in hive, for bees, and 
preserve from bee-moth, 80 ; 
when good, should never be 
melted into wax, 80 ; rapidly re- 
filled by bees, 80 ; artificial, sug- 
gestions and experiments on, 81j 
author's experiments on, to in- 
duce bees to make it from old 
wax, 81 ; building of, usually 
carried on most actively, by 
night,82 ; building of and honey- 
gathering, go on together, 83 ; 
easy control of, in hive, import- 
ant, 98 ; in thin hives, often 
melted in very hot weather, 127; 
hives not full of, seldom swarm^ 
(note) 138 ; sometimes built by 
honey-bees on trees, 146 ; empty, 
how to use to best advantage, 
155 ; may attract swarms to un- 
occupied hives, 156 ; worker, 
built only by colonies having a 
hatched queen, 173 ; drone, 
built always by stocks if having 
an unhatched queen, 173 ; kind 
of, building, often indicates con- 
dition of hive, 176 ; importance 
of author's invention for secur- 
ing it straight, 196 ; on cling- 
ing of bees to, when removed 
from hive, 196 ; how to obtain 
right kind of, for strengthening 
stocks, 230 ; easy control of, 
revolutionizes bee-keeping, 239, 
and would benefit even those 
who "take up'' bees, 240; un- 
protected by, bees, liable to be 
infested by bee-moth, 256 ; con- 
taining brood, always well re- 
ceived by bees, 258 ; empty, 
how to protect from bee-moth, 
259 ; having worker-eggs, en- 
courages queenless stocks, 295 ; 
danger of breaking down, when 
moving new stocks, 304 ; old, 
not to he rejected, 312 ; how to 
prepare, for easy inter-communi- 



INDEX. 



517 



cation of bees, in winter, 32 1, 
465 ; partial removal of, when 
honey is plenty, increases activi- 
ty of bees, 353 ; bees destitute 
of, in Fall, cannot be profitably 
fed, 355 ; great consumption of 
honey, in making, 355 ; how 
converted into wax, 375 ; when 
very old, fit only for fuel, 376 ; 
instance of curious mode of 
building, by bees, 427 ; more 
liable to be built crooked, when 
many are made in hive, 433 ; 
how to fasten in frames, (note) 
456 ; how to drain of honey, 
and return to bees, 463. 

Confectioners, shops of, attack of 
bees on, 368, destroy many 
bees, 368 ; and how to keep bees 
out of, 368. 

Consumption, neglect of ventilation 
in our houses, a cause of, 129 ; 
why so frequent in our Northern 
States, 129. 

Corisca, Ancient, yield of honey 
of, 398. 



Dampness, protection of bees from, 
121 ; caused in hives, by insuffi- 
cient protection, 117 ; in hives, 
causes disease, 117 ; mov. comb 
hive, protects bees from, 121 ; 
top ventilation protects bees 
from, 471-476. 

Dandelion, a valuable bee-iiower, 
(note) 405. 

Darwin, his curious anecdote of 
wasp, 426. 

Diseases, caused by thin or damp 
hives, 117; and by depriving 
bees of pure air, 127 ; of bees, 
275-277. 

Dishonesty, as poor policy in bees, 
as in men, 339. 

Disturbing bees, caution against, in 
cold weather, 326, (note) 476. 

Donhofl', Dr., on thinness of cells, 
(note) 79 j on artificial impreg- 



nation of drone-eggs, 469 ; on 
artificial swarming, 479. 

Doubled Stocks, usually produce 
mucii honey, 231, 306. 

Draining Combs, to return to bees, 
very profitable, 463. 

Drawings, for making mov. comb 
hive, Plates I to X. 

Drone-Comb, wood-cut of, PI. XV, 
Fig. 48 ; excess of, should be 
removed from breeding quarters, 
55 ; why sometimes built in ex- 
cess by bees, 56 ; how to use, to 
best advantage, 155 j always 
built when bees have an un- 
hatched queen, 174 ; strong 
colonies liable to build excess of, 
231 ; excess of, not injurious to 
wild colonies, 295 ; excess of, its 
injurious effect on a hive, 313. 

Drone-Eggs, are never impregna- 
ted, 40, 469 ; attempt of bees to 
rear a queen from, 43; some- 
times laid, by super-annuated 
queens, 278 ; artificial impreg- 
nation of, 469. 

Drones, always produced from un- 
fecundated eggs, 40, 469 ; pro- 
duced often by unfecundated 
queens, 41-44 ; time of appear- 
ance of, in spring, 54 ; wood- 
cuts of, (natural and magnified 
size,) PI. XII, Fig. 33, 34 ; de- 
scripiton of, 54 ; office of, to im- 
pregnate young Queen, 54 ; often 
very numerous, 54 ; how to pre- 
vent excessive multiplication of, 
55 ; destroyed by bees, when no 
longer needed, 56 ; objections 
against destroying, answered, 
56 ; many needed, to prevent 
degeneracy, 57 ; impregnate 
queens of other hives than their 
own, 58 ; gentlemen of leisure, 
64 ; usually numerous before 
swarming, 139; perish, after im- 
pregnating queen, (Latin,) 153; 
how to destroy excess of, 202 ; 
great consumers of honey, 202 ; 
production of should not be en- 



618 



INDEX, 



tirely repressed, 203 ; how to 
provide for carrying out dead 
ones, when non-swarmer is used, 
203 ; unusual delay of bees, in 
killing, suspicious, 295 ; actions 
of, when excluded from hive, 
296 ; P. J. Mahan's discovery 
respecting, 296 ; how to raise 
Italian, late in the season, 477. 

Dramming on hive, subdues bees, 
29, 182 ; swarms made by. 180- 
187. 

Danbar, his description of how 
the queen lays. 47. 

Dysentery, caused by damp hives, 
117, 472, and want of pure air, 
127 ; how prevented^ 275 ; makes 
bees cross, 276 ; caused by sour 
molasses, 352 ; inclines bees to 
sting, 409. 

Dzierzon, facts connected with in- 
vention of his hive, 20 ; apiary of, 
nearly destroyed by foul-brood, 
20 ; committee of Apiarian con- 
vention report favorably on mer- 
its of, 21 ; creates a revolution in 
German bee-keeping, 22 ; profits 
of his Apiary, 22 ; discovered 
office of queen's spermatheca, 
36, and that unfecundated eggs 
always produce drones, 40 ; theo- 
ry of, on sex of bees, 40 ; thinks 
some brood can be raised without 
pollen, 92 ; discovered meal to be 
a good substitute for pollen, 94, 
228 ; plan of, for forming nuclei, 
221, 222 ; recommends two 
apiaries, several miles apart, 
221 ; on the cultivation of buck- 
wheat, 388 ; thinks bees are not 
injuriously disturbed by opening 
hive, 445 ; opinion of, as to 
great value of Italian bee, 446 ; 
method of, for propagating pure 
Italian variety, 448. 



Eggs, unfecundated, produce 
drones, 40, 469 j of bees, Aris- 



totle on size of, 45 , process of 
laying, 47 ; description of, 48 j 
wood-cut of, PI. XIII, Fig. 39; 
queens have power over develop- 
ment of, 51 ; super-numerary, 
devoured by workers, 52 ; of 
bee-moth, how to destroy in 
empty comb, 260 ; of queen, im- 
pregnation of, 469 ; of drones, 
artificial impregnation of, 469. 

Ehrenfield's, profits of his large 
Apiary, 393. 

Energy of bees, instructive, 220. 

Engravings, see Wood-Cuts. 

Entrance of hive, should not be 
above level of bottom-board, 
should admit of being easily 
varied, without perplexing bees, 
102 ; should be nearly closed in 
winter, 473. 

Epitaph on bees killed by sulphur, 
252. 

Ether, used for stupifying bees,461. 

Evans, Dr., quotations from poem 
of, on bees, 54, 77, 85, 136, 407, 
426, 428. 

Experiments, bees necessarily sac- 
rificed in, 209 ; on a moderate 
scale, recommended, 210 ; re- 
quire much labor, 219 ; facilities 
of mov. comb hive for, (note) 
476. 

F. 

Facts, however wonderful, should 
be received, 46. 

Fseces, how to make bees in raov. 
comb hive, safely discharge, 103, 
334 ; healthy bees do not dis- 
charge in hive, 116 : bees loaded 
with, liable to perish in snow,328. 

Famine, causes bees to abandon 
hive, 143. 

Fear, eflfect of, in subduing bees, 29. 

Feeder, permanent bottom-board 
of mov. comb hive, answers for, 
354 ; how to make, cheap and 
good, 356; wood-cut of, PI. XI. 
Fig. 26; used to supply bees 
with water, 358. 



INDEX, 



519 



Feeding, quickly performed, in 
mov. conib hive, 102 ; to ex- 
cess, checks breeding, 229 ; di- 
rections for, 345-371 ; need of, 
easily ascertained in mov. comb, 
but not in common, hives, 345 ; 
importance of, in Spring, 346 ; 
neglect of, a cruel waste, 346 ; 
in Spring, encourages early 
breeding, 347 ; to be resorted to 
as little as possible, 349 : seldom 
iieededjif stocks are not too rapid- 
ly increased, 349 ; weak stocks, 
in Spring, 349 ; iacilities for, in 
mov. comb hive, 350, 355, 356 ; 
how to build up small stocks 
by, 350; useless, if colonies are 
very small, 351, 354; when 
needed, by strong stocks, 351 ; 
must be regular, to induce bees 
to build comb; 351 ; bees defi- 
cient in winter supplies, proper 
time for, 352 ; by giving surplus 
honey of strong stocks, to needy 
ones, 353 ; may be done cheap- 
ly with West India honey, 354 ; 
unprofitable, if bees have very 
little comb, in Fall, 355 ; from 
above, necessary, if weather is 
cold, 356 ; with sugar-candy, 
very profitable, 358, 470 ; weak 
stocks, by proxy, 360 ; with a 
view to sell fed honey, 362, 366. 

Fishback, Judge, observations of, 
on bee-moth, 265 ; precautions 
of, to prevent loss of young 
queens, 290. 

Flight of bees, extent of,about three 
miles, 399. 

Flowers, for bees, Nutt's catalogue 
of, 405 ; garden, afl^ord little 
bee-pasture, 390. 

Foul-Brood, ravages of, in Dzier- 
zon's Apiary, 20; exceedingly 
contagious, and its infection, of 
very long duration, 275 ; nature, 
cause and effects of, 275 ; two 
kinds, dry and foetid, 275 ; reme- 
dies for, 276. 

Frames, movable, Author's, need 



no guide combs, 155 ; how ar- 
ranged in a new hive, 156 ; how 
to guard, against robbing bees, 
when taken out of hive, 197 ; 
must be carefully handled, 195- 
198; can be easily removed when 
slightly attached to hive or each 
other, 196 ; may be kept in 
winter, any height above bottom- 
board, 327, 478 ; surplus honey 
may be removed on, 376. 

Friesland, East, immense number 
of beesiti, 398. 

Fruit, wasps and hornets, but not 
honey-bees, injurious to, 96, 97 ; 
honey-bees, on the whole, a 
benefit to, 97. 

Fruit-trees, blossoms of, yield 
honey, 382. 

Fumigation of hives, with puff- 
ball fungus, objectionable, 461. 



G. 



Gardeners.might manage their em- 
ployer's bees, in mov. comb hive. 
298, 439. 

Glass, vessels of, for spare honey, 
objections to, 379 ; should have 
guide-combs, 379 ; bees soon 
become accustomed to hives of, 
437. 

Gloves, India Rubber, to protect 
hands from bees, 424 ; wood- 
cut of, PL XI, Fig. 27 ; woolen, 
objectionable, 424. 

Golden Rod, some varieties of, 
yield much honey 391, (note) 405. 

Guide-Combs, not needed for Au- 
thor's frames, 155 ; necessary in 
glass vessels, 379. 

Gundelach, on the necessity of pol- 
len for rearing brood, 92. 



H. 



Hairy objects, why offensive to 

bees, 424. 
Hartshorn, spirits of, remedy for 

bee-stings, 421. 



620 



INDEX. 



Health of men, bad ventilation im- 
pairs, 132. 

Heat, excessive, protection of bees 
against, 114. 

Hens too mach crowded together, 
mistalfe their own nests, 288. 

Heyne, on over-stocking, 395. 

Hiver, basket for, 157. 

Hives, (see mov, comb hive.) Ru- 
ber's, Author's experiments with, 
14, (note) 195 ; made of doubled 
materials, 14, 121, 474 ; made 
with slats, 15, 17 ; mixture for 
sealing corners of, 88 ; fifty-five 
requisites of good ones, 98-113; 
should admit of ea^sy examina- 
tion, 99, 282 ; size of, should 
admit of variation, 99 ; the sim- 
plest, usually the best, 113 ; thin 
ones, cold and damp, and tempt 
bees to fly unseasonably, 117; 
thin ones require much air in 
winter, 117, 325; how Polish 
and Eussian, are protected 
against cold, 119; made of 
plank, too heavy, 121 ; how to 
pack doubled ones, lor winter, 
121 ; thin ones, dear in the end, 
123 ; their ventilation, 124-136 ; 
thin ones, over-heated in sum- 
mer, 127 ; heat of sun unfits, for 
new swarms, 155 ; in common 
ones, bees often refuse to swarm, 
165, 169 ; dividing, disadvanta- 
ges of, for artificial swarming, 
173-175, effect produced on bees, 
by drumming on, 1 82 ; why self- 
colonizing ones do not answer, 
177 ; exclusive use of non- 
sv/arming, would exterminate 
bees, 178 ; non-swarming, ob- 
jections to, 179 ; less risk of be- 
ing stung, when opened from 
above than from below, 194 ; 
precautions as to position of, 
when they have unfecundated 
queens, 225, 290 ; large, why 
recommended, 231 ; Polish, large 
and well-protected, 232 ; large, 
should be strongly stocked with 



bees, 232 ; large, breed more 
bees and require careful protec- 
tion, 232 ; small, unprofitable, 
233, 430 ; moth-proof, a delu- 
sion, 243 , bees often flourish in 
the rudest, 255 ; costly, no pro- 
tection against moth, 255 ; how 
to know whether infested by 
worms of moth, 257 ; bottom- 
boards of, should be cleaned in 
Spring, 257 ; loss of queen, can- 
not be readily learned from com- 
mon, 264 ; hopelessly queenless, 
must perish, 264 ; tenants of 
which have died, sometimes left 
with much honey, 264 ; alike in 
shape, size and color, and close 
together, cause great loss of 
young queens, 288 ; how to pre- 
vent in, when placed close to- 
gether, the loss of young queens, 
290 ; cheap stand for, 30 1 ; shade 
of trees, best place for, 301 j 
should not be set too high, 301 • 
common ones, how to prepare 
bees in, for moving, 303 ; how to 
change location of, in Apiary, 
without loss of bees, 316 ; cau- 
tion in opening of, necessary, 
when honey is scarce, 342 ; dif- 
ficulty of ascertaining, in com- 
mon, when bees need feeding, 
345 ; for two colonies, 417, 432 • 
proper size, shape and materials 
of, 429-437 ; shape of, 470 ; size 
of surplus storage-room of, 429 ; 
tall, good for wintering bees, 
430 ; low and broad, the worst, 
431 ; low and long, good for cold 
climates, 432 ; proper materials 
for, 433 ; how to remedy disad- 
vantages of wooden, 433 ; how 
to protect, by straw matting, 434 ; 
when opening of, does not dis- 
courage bees, 445 ; how to pre- 
pare, for sending off' Italian 
queens, 456. 

Hives, mov. comb, see mov. comb 
Hives. 

Hives, Patent, see Patent Hives, 



INDEX. 



521 



Hiving bees, directions for, 154- 
162 ; expertness in, makes pleas- 
ant, 154 ; should be done prompt- 
ly, 157 ; basket for, 157 ; sheet 
for, how arranged, 157, 158 ; 
how to expedite, 153 ; process 
of, must be repeated, when queen 
not secured, 158 ; when swarm 
alights in difficult place, or when 
two swarms alight together, 159 ; 
old-fashioned mode of, bad, 160 ; 
when done, remove swarms to 
proper stands, 160 ; how to se- 
cure queen in, J 61 ; how to 
manage, when no hive ready, 
161. 

Holbrook, Hon. F., on cultivation 
of white clover, 384. 

Honey, analysis of, 79 ; much con- 
sumed in secretion of wax, 79, 
355 ; gathered sometimes by 
moonlight, (note) 82 ; gathering 
of, and comb-building, go on to- 
gether, 8o ; how to secure large 
quantity of, for feeding destitute 
stocks, 105 ; amount of, consum- 
ed by bees, proportioned to their 
exercise, 116; United States, 
favorable to production of, 118; 
hives often deficient in storage- 
room for, 165 ; hov/ to get room 
for storage of, in mov. comb 
hive, 165 ; how bees filled with, 
are received by strange colonies, 
181 ; over-supply of, which 
checks breeding, maybe remov- 
ed, in mov. comb hive, 201, 353 ; 
drones, great consumers of, 202 ; 
yield of, diminished by rapid in- 
crease of colonies, 205, 207, and 
by disturbing bees, 209; stocks 
over-breeding, often deficient in, 
228; large quantities of, often 
obtained from doubled swarms, 
231; diminished yield of, as- 
cribed to wrong causes, 249 ; 
large stores of, in hives with- 
out bees, 264 ; largest yield of, 
usually secured by increasing 
colonies one third, 320 ; w^hen 



non-swarming hives yield the 
most, 320 ; bees consume much, 
in Spring, 321 ; how to make 
bees concentrate, for winter use, 
326 ; bees not disposed to rob, 
when it is abundant, 342 ; hives 
should be opened very cautiously 
when bees are not gathering, 
342 ; worse than wasted, by 
over-feeding in Spring, 347 ; 
unsealed, liable to injure bees by 
souring, in cold weather, 352 ; 
excess of, in Spring, should be 
removed, 353 ; AVest India, how 
to prepare for feeding, 354 ; 
sugar-candy, the best substitute 
for, as a bee-feed, 358, 470 ; 
quantity of, for wintering a colo- 
ny, 361 ; difficulty of estimating 
amount of, in common hives, 
361 ; fed to bees, cannot be sold 
to profit, 362, 366 ; West India, 
stored in comb, unsalable, 362 ; 
bees gather, but do not secrete, 
363, 371; each' kind of, has its 
own flavor, 363 ; stored in com.b, 
as soon as gathered, 363 ; thin- 
ned too m.uch; makes more work 
for bees, 364 ; sale of an inferior 
article, in white comb, a fraud 
365 ; liquid, how to make a nice 
article of, 366 ; liquid, danger of 
exposing to bees, 367 ; remarks 
on, 371-382; some kinds of, 
poisonous, 374 ; unsealed, some- 
times hurtful, if not boiled, 374 ; 
improves by age, 374 ; how to 
secure from injury, when taken 
from care of bees, 374; how to 
drain from comb, 375 ; sources 
of, 382 ; yield of, by plants, un- 
certain, 386, 391 ; large quantity 
of, gathered by a colony, in a 
day, 398 ; how to prevent steal- 
ing of, 415 ; use of, recommend- 
by Solomon, (note) 457. 

Honey-Bag, worker's, wood-cut of, 
Pl.XVli, Fig. f4. 

Honey-Board, spare, holes in, left 
open in Winter, 435, 471-476. 



522 



INDEX. 



Honey-Dews, origin of, 371 ; on 
what plants chiefly found, 373 ; 
often yield much honey, but do 
not occur every year, 374. 

Honey-Hornets, Mexican, (note) 
63. 

Honey, Surplus, facilities for se- 
curing, in mov. comb hive, 104, 
376 ; receptacles for, in mov. 
comb hive, 104 ; receptacles for, 
how to prevent Queen from en- 
tering, 203 ; how to prepare box 
for sending, to market, 377 ; 
yield of^ diminished by using 
small boxes, 378 ; how to drive 
bees from receptacles of, 378 ; 
may be taken in glass vessels, 
379 ; wood-cut of box for, PI. XI, 
Fig. 24 ; stocks when producing, 
should not be disturbed, 381 ; 
receptacles for, when to give to 
bees, 460, and when to remove 
from hive, 462. 

Honey- Water, objectionable for 
subduing bees, 191. 

Hornets, fecundation of, 37 ; in- 
jure fruit, 97 ; how to check in- 
crease of, 97 ; torpid in winter, 
114, 137. 

Horses, sweaty, very offensive to 
bees, 410_, 414. 

Horticulturists, prejudice of some 
against honey-bees, without any 
cause, 96. 

Houses, folly of thin, in cold cli- 
mates, 124 ; ventilation of, neg- 
lected, 128. 

Huber, Francis, tribute to, 34-36 ; 
discovered how queens are im- 
pregnated, 36 ; experiments of, 
on secretion of wax by bees, 78 ; 
discovered whence bees gather 
propolis, 86 ; discovered how 
hives are ventilated, 125 ; leaf- 
hive of, not well adapted to arti- 
ficial swarming, 173 ; mistakes 
reason why bees enter cells, on 
opening of hive, 192; found 24 
Queen cells in a hive, 215; 
thought there was a difference 



between wax-workers and nurs- 
ing workers, 218 ; on watchful- 
ness oft)ees against moth, 244 ; 
on ravages of honey-eating 
moth, 265 ; on acute sense of 
smell, of bees, 415. 

Huish, objections of, against Hu- 
ber, 76. 

Human Kace, remarks on unity of, 
469. 

Hunger impairs fertility of Queen- 
bee, 361. 

Hunter, Dr. discovers pollen in 
stomachs of immature bees, 90. 

Hurting bees, important to avoid, 
98. 

Hyginus, his account of royal jel- 
ly, 172. 



I. 



Impregnation of queen bees, 34- 
38, 469 ; effect on queens, of re- 
tarding, 39 ; remarkable law of, 
in Aphides, 46 ; why it takes 
place, out of hive, 58. 

Italian Honey-Bees, 440-457 ; no- 
ticed by Aristotle and Virgil, 440, 
and by Columella, 477; Mr. 
Wagner's letter on, 441-453; 
Capt. Baldenstein gives first ac- 
count of, to the Bienenzeitung, 
441 ; cells of, same as those of 
common kind, 432 ; value of, 
in studyingphysiology of honey- 
bee, 443, 447 ; Dzierzon's ex- 
periments with, 444-448 ; in 
what parts of Italy, found, 444 ; 
superior productiveness of, 443 ; 
445, 449, 553; Dzierzon's esti- 
mate of value of, 446 ; less in- 
clined to sting than common 
kind, 446, 449, 477, and not so 
liable to be robbed, 446 ; how 
to change common stocks, into, 
446 ; description of queen, work- 
ers and drones of, 447 ; breed 
of, can be kept pure, 447 ; keep- 
ing breed of, pure, Dzierzon's 
method of, 448; Author's, 454, 



INDEX. 



523 



456, 477 ; more disposed to rob, 
than common bees, 449 ; diffi- 
culty of propagating pure breed 
of, in common hives, 454. 

Increase of Colonies, rapid, cau- 
tions against, 204, 349, 351; 
rapid, diminishes yield of honey, 
205, 207; a tenfold, possible, 
yearly, in mov. comb hive, 208; 
sure, not rapid, to be aimed at, 
209, 214; so as to secure one 
new for every two old ones, best, 
209, 211, 320, and how effected, 
by natural swarming,213 ; rapid, 
when desirable, and how secur- 
ed, 214; rapid, requires much 
-feeding, 208, 349. 

Indian name for honey-bee, 248. 

Instincts of Bees, 424-429 ; Spence 
and Bevan, on, 425 ; remarkable j 
instance of, 427. 

Intemperate men, compared to 
bees infatuated by liquid sweets, 
369. 

J. I 

Jansha, on impregnation of queen, 
(note) 38. 

Jarring, disliked by bees, 100, 195, I 
333.'" 

Jelly, Royal, the food of immature 
queens, '70 ; analysis of, 70 ; ef- 
fect of, on development of larvae, 
71 ; secreted by bees, 470. 

K. 

Eaden, Mr., on over-stocking, 
394 ; on extent of a bee's flight, 
(note) 399. 

Killing Bees, more humane than 
starving them, 253 ; never ne- 
cessary, 321 ; was not practised 
by the ancients, 431. 

King-Bird, eats bees, 272. 

Kirby and Spence, on Ants and 
Aphides, 372. 

Knight, on Honey-Dews, 372. 

Kleine, Rev. Mr., on value of 
sugar-candy as a bee-feed, 359, 

43 



470; on over-stocking, 395; 
stops robbing, by use of musk, 
416 ; on accustoming the system 
to poison of bees, 422. 

L. 

Larvae of honey-bee, development 
of. 48 ; wood-cuts of, Pi. XIII, 
Figs. 40, 41 and 42. 

Leidy. Dr. Joseph, his dissection of 
fertile and drone-laying queen 
bees, 37, 42, 477. 

Light, bees will work, when ex- 
posed to, 16, 24, 437 ; of day, 
needed for operating on bees, 
191; effect of sudden introduc- 
tion of, into the hive, 192. 

Linden, American, preferable to 
European, and yield.s much 
honey, 383. 

Liriodendron, blossoms of, abound 
in honey, 382. 

Locust, blossoms of, yield much 
honey, 384. 

Lombard, his interesting anecdote 
of swarming. 407. 

Longfellow, H. W., quotation from, 
on the bee, 249. 

Loss of Queen, 277-299 ; signs 
of, in early Spring, 279 ; occurs 
oftenest when queen leaves hive 
for impregnation, 285 ; olten 
caused by patent hives, and 
sometimes by birds, or wind, 
286 ; Author's experiments 
prove, that it is caused by plac- 
ing hives alike in shape^ size 
and color, too close together, 
287 ; Judge Fishback's precau- 
tions to prevent, 290. 

Lunenburg, bees of, more than 
pay all the taxes, 396. 

M. 

Mahan, P. J., observations of, on 
drones, 296, on secretion of 
royal jelly, 470 ; transfers a 
swarm, in' December, 470. 



524 



INDEX. 



Maple, Sugar; blossoms of, yield 
much honey, 382. 

Maraldi, anecdote from, of bees 
and snails, 88. 

Meal, an important substitute for 
pollen, 94, 229. 

Medicine, poison of bee, used for, 
423. 

Mice, ravages of, in hives, pre- 
vented, 109, 202. 

Miller, see Bee-Moth. 

Mixing of bees, of different colo- 
nies, precautions against, 310. 

Molasses, sour, a colony destroyed 
by eating. 352. 

Months of the year, directions for 
treating bees in, 458-467. 

Moonlight, bees sometimes gather 
honey by, (note) 82. 

Moth, see Bee-Moth. 

Moth, Death-head, robs bees of 
honey, 265. 

Mothers, unkind treatment of, re- 
proved by bees, 411. 

Moth-proof hives, a delusion, 243. 

Moths, honey-eating, ravages of. 
265. 

Movable Comb Hives, invention of, 
13-25 ; enable each bee-keeper 
to observe for himself, 24 ; dan- 
gerous to reputation of superfi- 
cial observers, 32 ; admit easy 
removal of old combs, 66, 100 ; 
advantages of, particularly enu- 
merated, 98-113 ; size of, easily 
varied, 99, 233 ; facilities of for 
securing surplus honey, 104, 
376-382 ; advantages of, for pre- 
venting afler-swarming, 106, 
152, 163, for catching queens, 
107, for strengthening feeble 
stocks, 107, 258, and for ease of 
repair, 108 ; durability of, 108, 
284 ; not liable to be blown 
down, 109 ; may be secured 
against thieves, 109 ; advantages 
of their alighting-board, 109, 
399; simplicity of, 110; perfec- 
tion disclaimed for, HI ; inven- 
tion of, the result of experience 



in managing bees. 111; merits 
of, submitted to those having 
most experience in bee-keeping, 
113 j protect bees from heat, 
cold and dampness, 121, 471- 
476 ; how warmed up, in early 
Spring, 122 ; may be made 
cheap, 123, 471 ; easily ventilat- 
ed, 135 ; admit of top-ventila- 
tion, 135, 321, 471-476; deser- 
tion of, by swarms, easily pre- 
vented, 142 ; proper arrange- 
ment of frames in, 156, 483; 
advantages of, for storin? honey, 
when bees refuse to swarm, 165 ; 
directions for making artificial 
swarms in, 187; bees easily 
subdued in, with sugar-water, 
192 ; directions for opening, 194, 
and for taking out frames of, 
195 ; manner of shutting up, 
198; making artificial swarmiS 
by slightly moving of, 198 ; reme- 
dy injurious eflect of too much 
honey in the hive, 201 ; ad- 
vantages ol, for making artificial 
swarms, 204 ; ease of experi- 
menting with, 209, 476 ; how 
to secure rapid increase of colo- 
nies in, 214; several may be 
built in one structure, 233 ; use 
of, diminishes risk of being 
stung, 240; useful to those who 
'- take up" bees-, 240 ; protect 
swarming stocks, from bee-moth, 
261 ; entrance-blocks of, for ex- 
cluding moth and trapping 
worms, 268 485 ; easily clean- 
ed, 284 ; should be examined 
and cleaned in early Spring,284 ; 
easy to ascertain in, if young 
queens have been impregnated, 
297 ; should be examined, in 
Fall, 297; how to prepare, for 
transportation of bees, 305 ; 
how to unite and Wmter small 
colonies, in, 3 17 ; how to get most 
honey from non-swarming, 320 ; 
how to prevent bees in, from 
starving among empty combs 



INDEX. 



525 



in Winter, 323, 473, 476, 482 ; 
how to protect, when not doubled, 
against cold, 326, 474; how to 
clean bottom-boards of, in cold 
weather, 327 ; how to manage, 
when first taken oat of Winter 
quarters, 334, 476 ; how to }3re- 
vent, from being robbed, 340 ; 
easy to ascertain in, when feed- 
ing is needed, 345 ; permit feed- 
ing weak stockS; from surplus of 
strong ones, 353 ; excess of 
honey in, easily removed, 353 ; 
permit feeding without a feeder, 
354 ; how to feed bees in, 355 ; 
how to manage top-feeding in, 
356 ; how to feed candy in, 359, 
470, 478 ; how to take surplus 
honey from, 376-381 ; how to 
manufacture, cheaply, 435 ; 
artificial swarms made in, by 
driving bees into upper cover, 
461 ; advantages of for winter- 
ing bees, 471-478 ; bills of stock- 
for making various kinds of, 
481-494; wood-cuts of various 
patterns of, Plates I to X. 

Moving stocks, how to manage, 
without loss of bees, 303 ; how 
to prepare stocks for, 303. 

Musk, used to stop robbing, 416; 
and to unite colonies, 417. 



N. 



Natural Swarming, and hiving of 
swarms, 136-166; not an un- 
natural occurrence, 137, 138; 
seldom takes place, except in 
Southern climates, when hives 
are not well filled wirh combs, 
(note) 138 ; season of, in Nort'i- 
ern Stales, 138; first swarm in, 
led 05" by old queen, 139 ; signs 
of, 139 ; time of day of, 140 ; 
queen bees often lost, in, 140; 
preparation of bees for, 140; 
ringing of bells or tanging, in, 
useless, 141 ; how to stop a 
fugitive swarm, 142 ; sugges- 



tions for making more profitable, 
162-165; occurs earlier in well- 
protected hives, 162 ; excessive, 
prevented by mov. comb hive, 
163 ; loss of queens in, reme- 
died by mov. comb hive, 164 ; 
difficulties inherent to, in all 
hives, 166-171 ; loss of swarms 
caused by, 165 ; wastes time and 
labor, 167 ; unprofitable to those 
much away from Apiary, 167; 
unfavorable to establishment of 
large Apiaries, 168 ; an uncer- 
tain reliance for increasing an 
Apiary, 169; how to manage, 
in very compact Apiaries, 291. 

New England Farmer, extract 
from, ctl Author's observing 
hive, 234; on cultivation of 
white clover, 384. 

Non-Swarmer, Author's, can be 
applied to any hive, 318; use 
of,proposed,for preventing excess 
of pollen, 319 ; use of, in propaga- 
ting Italian bees, 454 ; descrip- 
tion of, 485. 

Non-Swarming, colonies, how to 
manage, in mov. comb hive, 
318; objection to, removed, 319 ; 
when it yields most honey, 320. 

Nuclei, or small colonies, how 
formed, 215; made by shutting 
up bees with brood-comb, 215 ; 
should be protected from exces- 
sive heat, 216 ; may be made 
to raise their own queen, 216 j 
formed by slightly changing po- 
sition of stocks, 216; require 
clustered bees on brood-comb, 
217; attempts to make, some- 
times unsuccessful, 217 ; Dzier- 
zon's methods of forming, 221- 
222 ; how to form, from natural 
or forced swarms, 223 ; how to 
manage, to make strong stocks 
of, 225 ; where to put, when 
they have unfertile queens, 225 j 
danger of forming too many, 
227 ; old stocks must not be 
over taxed, in making of, 227. 



526 



INDEX. 



Norway, Government of, encour- 
ages bee-keeping, 403. 

Nur-sery, for multiplying queens, 
237. 

Nutt, his list of bee-flowers, 405. 



0. 



Observing-Hive, mov. comb, in- 
teresting experiments of Hon 
Simon Brown with, 234 ; inter- 
esting observations in, 427 ; ad- 
vantages of Author's, 437-440 ; 
disadvantages of common kinds 
of, 438 ; Author's, for parlor or 
sitting-room, 438, 487 ; may be 
kept in cities, 439 ; how to stock, 
with bees, 439. 

Odors, unpleasant, offensive to 
bees, 414. 

Oetle, remarks of, on over-stock- 
ing, 397 ; golden rule of, for bee- 
keeping, 397, 468. 

Oliver, H. K., observations of, on 
Bee-Moth, 270. 

Old stocks, prejudices against,often 
foolish, 312. 

Onions, blos^;oms of, yield much 
honey, 381. 

Ovaries, ofqneen-bee, wood-cut of, 
PLATE XVin ; of workers, are 
undeveloped, 59. 

Over-stocking, remarks of Oetle, 
on, 397; no immediate danger 
of, in this country, 392-406; let- 
ter from S. Wagner, on, 393-396. 



Paint, smell of offensive to bees, 
154 ; recipe for cheap and dur- 
able, for hives, 436 ; for hives in 
the shade, mn}'' be dare. 466. 

Pasturage for Bees, 382-392. 

Patent-hives, deceptions practised 
by venders of, (note) 66 ; gene- 
rally no improvement, 112; 
often constructed, in defiance of 
nature of bees, 112 ; promises of 
their inventors, often delusive, 



170 ; often increase the ravages 
of bee-moth, 251, 254; often 
cause loss of queens, 286. 

Peppermint, use ot, in uniting 
colonies, 213. 

Perfection, folly of claiming, 112. 

Perseverance of bees, 220. 

Piping of Queens, an indication of 
after-sv/arming, 149. 

Plantain, a remedy for bee-stings. 
421. 

Poison of bees, smell of, similar to 
odor of ripe banana, and irritates 
bees, 413 ; remedies for, 419- 
422 ; should not be taken into 
the mouth, 421 ; human system 
can be inured to, 422 ; medici- 
nal effects of, 423. 

Poisonous Honey, 374. 

Polish Hives, thorough protection 
of, against cold, 119; large size 
of, 232. 

Pollen, 90-97 ; may be used for food 
by mature bees, 78, 92 ; may 
aid in secretion of wax, 78, 92 ; 
found in stomach of immature 
bees, 90 ; Author's experiments 
on use of, 91 ; excess of, in old 
stocks, may be given to others, 
103 ; chief food of bees, in larva 
state, 90, 92 ; Huber first proved 
use of, in rearing brood, 91 ; 
freshly gathered, preferred by 
bees, 92 ; how gathered and 
stored by bees, 93 ; bees gather- 
ing, aid in impregnating plants, 
93 ; meal (rye and wheat) a 
good substitute for, 94 ; excess 
of, may be caused by removing 
queen, 201 ; importance of Dzier- 
zon's substitute for, 229 ; ex- 
periment to prevent excessive 
gathering of, 319 ; trees produc- 
ing early, less important than 
formerly, 382. 
Posel, discovery of, on use of 
spermatheca,(note) 38 ; on effect 
of hanger on queen-bees, 361. 
Proboscis, of a worher,(magnified,) 
wood-cut of, PI. XVI., Fig. 51. 



INDEX. 



52T 



Profits of bee-keeping, Dzierzon's 
experience in, 22 ; safe estimate 
of, 402. 

Propolis, 86-90 ; sources whence 
bees obtain, 86 ; curious sources 
of, in Mexico, 87 ; uses which 
bees make of, 87 ; bee-moth 
lays her eggs in. 88; anecdotes 
of curious use of, by bees, 8S. 

Protection of hives, extra, cheap in 
the long run, 435. 

Protector, failure of the one recom- 
mended by Author, 124. 

Prussia, bee-keeping encouraged 
by Government of, 404. 

Pupa, or bee-nymph, 49 ; wood-cut 
of, PI. XIII, Fig. 43; of queen, 
worker and drone, 48-50 ; time 
required for development of, 50. 

Punk, smoke of, subdues bees, 29, 
ISO ; use of, for preparing bees 
to be moved, 303 ; how to use, 
for subduing bees, 465; use of, 
removes chief objections to mov- 
able bottom-boards, 471. 



Queen-Bee, wood-cut of, (natural 
and magnified size,) PI. XII, 
Figs. 31 and 32; wood-cut of 
ovaries and spermatheca of, PI. 
XVIII ; description uf, 32 ; the 
mother of the whole colony, 32 ; 
afiectionate treatment of, by the 
other bees, 33 ; efiect of loss oi^, 
on the colony, 33, 74 ; fertility 
of, greatly under-estimated, 34 ; 
how eggs of, are fecundated, 34- 
38; Huber discovered impreg- 
nation of, to take place out of 
hive, 36 ; dissection of sperma- 
theca of, by Dr. Leidy, 37 ; eiTect 
of retarded impregnation on, 39 ; 
account of a drone-laying, 41-44 ; 
Dr. Leidy 's (dissection of a drone- 
laying, 42 ; attempt of bees, to 
rear, from a drone-egg, 43 ; ac- 
count of a drone-laying, after- 
wards laying worker eggs, 44 ; 

43* 



a drone-laying, with shriveled 
wings, 44 ; wings of young, 
sometimes imperfect, 44, 285 ; 
Italian, impregnated by common 
drones, produces Italian drones, 
45 ; mode of laying, of, 47 ; can 
regulate development of eggs, 
in her ovaries, 51 ; fertility of, 
decreases with age, 53 ; lon- 
gevity of, 53 ; when superannu- 
ated, lays eggs of drones only, 
53, 278; vi'hy impregnated out 
of hive, 58 ; Italian, use of, to 
show how long workers live, 
(note) 64 ; oflice of. no sinecure, 
64 ; manner of rearing of, 68 ; 
larva of, effect of royal jelly on, 
71; developmmt of, an argu- 
ment against infidelity, 75 ; old, 
leads off first swarm, 139, 444; 
often lost in swarming, 140; loss 
of, in swarming, causes bees to 
return to parent stock, 141 ; how 
to prevent from' deserting new 
hive, 142; influence of, in caus- 
ing bees to cluster, 144 ; haired 
of, towards a rival, 148; bees 
prevent, from destroying in- 
mates of royal cells, 149; more 
than one, frequently, go 'with 
after-swarms, 150 ; , young, 
more active on wing, than old 
one, 151 ; young, often unwilling 
to leave hive, 151 ; young, does 
not leave for impregnation, until 
her rivals are destroyed, 152 ; 
precautions used by, to enable 
her to regain her ov^'n hive, 153;. 
bees excited when young one 
leaves for impregnation, 153,. 
293 ; usually begins to lay, two 
days after impregnation, 153 j 
when unfertile, treated by bees, 
with little respect, 153 ; how to 
secure, in hiving swarms, 161 j 
when handled, does not sting, 
161 ; loss of. remedied by mov. 
comb hive, 164 ; w^hen no ma- 
ture one in hive, no workei- 
comb is built; 173-176 ; swarm- 



528 



INDEX. 



ing prevented by confining, 179, 
201, 485; how to tell whether 
artificial swarm has one, 189 ; 
an artificial swarm will accept a 
strange one, 189 ; how to have, 
on hand, for every new colony, 
190 ; not so easily caught, when 
bees are smoked, 192 ; how to 
seize safely, 197 ; must not be 
kept long without food, 197; 
how to clip wings of, 200 ; when 
very old, should be killed, 200 ; 
want of, in hive, may cause ex- 
cess of pollen, 201 ; may be pre- 
vented from entering spare 
honey boxes, 203 ; danger of 
uniting colonies, having feriile 
and unfertile, 213, 311 ; conjec- 
tures respecting artificial rearing 
of, 218 ; proper position of hive 
containing unfertile, 225. 291, 
295; first attempt of bees in 
artificial rearing of, sometimes 
fails, 226 ; fertility of, repressed, 
by want of cells for eggs, 227 ; 
size of, varies with accommoda- 
tions for laying, 228 ; great fer- 
tility of, in large and well pro- 
tected hives, 232 ; indisposition 
of. to sting, necessary to safety 
of, 233 ; a strange one, not im- 
mediately welcomed by a queen- 
less hive. 236 ; loss of, exposes 
hives to 'be robbed, 236, 264 ; 
one, made to supply a number 
of hives with, eggs for raising 
queens, 239 ; when lost, stock 
liable to be destroyed by moth, 
261; when lost, bees will not re- 
sist intrusions of moth, 2ii2 ; sa- 
gacity of moth in delecting loss 
of, 263 ; loss of, cannot certain- 
ly be ascertained in common 
hives. 264, 281 ; exempt from 
dysentery, and dr,es not commu- 
nicate infection of ibul-brood. 
276 ; death of, from old age, 
277 ; more tenacious of life, 
than other bees, 278 ; death of. 
usuallj sudden, 278 ; sometimes 



rejected by a queenless hive, 
282 ; sometimes caught by birds, 
286 ; often enters wrong hive, 
by mistake, and is killed, 286; 
theory of how loss of, is ascer- 
tained by bees, 293 ; how to 
learn in mov. comb hive, whe- 
ther young one has become fer- 
tile, 297 ; hovv^ to prove that 
young one leaves hive for im- 
pregnation, 299; recognized by 
bees, by her peculiar smell, 316 ; 
how to replace old with young, 
in mov. comb hive, 319; fertili- 
ty of, impaired by hunger, 361 ; 
is a great eater, 361 ; taken 
from bees, must not be kept long 
without food, 361 ; sometmies 
enters surplus honey boxes, 379 ; 
effect of preventing from laying, 
on yield of honey, 401 ; impreg- 
nation of, in open air, proved 
by means of Italian bees, 444 ; 
how to introduce Italian, to com- 
mon bees, 449 ; Italian, may be 
sent anywhere, in m.ov. comb 
hive, 456 ; how to judge of ma- 
turity of unhatched one, 460. 

Queen Bees, v.^hy when two fight, 
both are not killed, 233 ; combat 
of, as wimessed in Author's ob- 
serving hive, 236; supernume- 
rary, how disposed of, in svv arm- 
ing season, 238; some more fer- 
tile than others, 319 ; Italian, 
how to propagate late in the 
season, 477. 

Queen-Cage, use and construction 
of, 236,^237. 

Queen-Cells, see Eoyal Cells. 

Queenless Stocks, do not when first 
becoming so, welcome a stranger 
queen, 236 ; when they should 
be taken up, 283 ; destroyed by 
molh. in Aristotle's time, 464. 

Queen -Nursery, see Nursery. 

Quimby, ]M., work of, on bee- 
keeping, very valuable, 329; 
extract from, on \Aintering bees 
329-333; views of, on shape of 



INDEX. 



529^ 



hives, 432 ; makes bees fill a 
double tier of boxes, (note) 462. 



R. 



Radlekoff'er, Dr., on over-stocking. 
393 ; Otto, Jr., experimentsiof, 
with Italian bee, 453. 

Raspberry, one of the best bee- 
plants, and very abundant in 
hill towns of New England, 
389 ; bees can gather from, in 
moist weather, 389. 

Reaumur, his account of a snail 
covered with propolis, by bees, 88. 

Reid, Dr., on the shape of cells, 84. 

Religion, Revealed, appeal to those 
w^ho reject, 57, 75, 76. 

Remedies, for bee-slings, 419-422. 

Riem, the first to notice fertile 
workers, 60. 

Robbers, highway, bees sometimes 
act the part of, 338. 

Robbing, may be caused by using 
honey- water to subdue bees, 191; 
bees not inclined to, when honey 
is plenty, 191, 342; queenless 
hives much exposed to. 264; 
danger of, when transferring 
bees, 314; discussion ol, 334- 
345 ; bees very prone to, 334 ; 
causes of, 335 ; strong stocks 
often most inclined to, 335 ; how 
prevented, 336 ; healthy colonies 
less liable to suffer from, 336; 
how to distinguish bees engaged 
in, 337^ 342; importance of pre- 
venting commencement of, 340 ; 
how prevented by blocks of mov. 
comb-hive, 340 ; carried on, af- 
ter regular working hours, 341 ; 
bees engaged in, sometimes neg- 
lect their own brood, 341 ; often 
occasioned by imprudent expo- 
sure of honey, 342; unskillful 
attempts to prevent, may ruin 
strong colonies, 313 ; prevented, 
by contracting entrance, 343, 
by wormwood, 343, and by cold 
water, 344 ; what to do, after it 



has begun, 344; singular instance 
of. 344; stopped by giving fer- 
tile queen lo an assailed hive, 
345, and by use of musk, 416 j 
Italian bee, not so liable to suffer 
from, 446. 

Royal Cells, described, 08 ; wood- 
cuts of, Plates XIV and XV, 
Figs. 47, 49 and 50; why they 
open downvvard, 69 ; number of, 
in a hive, 69 ; attention paid to, 
by workers, 69, 470 ; uncertain 
wliether queen lays in, 70 ; built 
bei^ore swarming, 139; how to 
decide, whether inmaie of, has 
hatched or been killed; 149; 
qneen prevented from destroying, 
149; supernumerar}^ easily re- 
moved, in mov. comb hive, 163 ; 
how to transfer from one hive to 
another, 190 ; moturily of in- 
mates of, how ascertained, 460. 

Russian Hives, well protected 
against cold, 119. 



S. 



Sagacity of bees, 53. 

Schirach, on artihr-ial rearing of 
queens, 172. 

Scouts, sent out by swarms to find 
a new home, 145. 

Scraper, for cleaning boUom-board 
of mov. comb hive, 327 ; wood- 
cut of, PI. XI, Fig.' 30. 

Scudamore, Dr., on many swarms 
clustering together, (note) 160. 

Secret recipe, sham vendor of, 254. 

Selfish man, does not appreciate 
advantages of liberality, 415. 

Sermon, to the avaricious, 348. 

Sex, of bees, Author's theory con- 
cerning, 46. 

Sick persons, the care of beneficial 
to man, 412. 

Siebold, Professor, found Sperma- 
tozoa in workefjbut not in di^one- 
eggs, 4(i9. 

Sight of bees, acute, for distant 
objects, 145. 



530 



INDEX. 



Signs of swarming, 139. 

Size of hives, should admit of easy 
variation, 99. 

Smell, of hives, in gathering sea- 
son, (note) 207 ; the same, to be 
given in uniting colonies, 212, 
41b; sense of, bees distinguish 
strange bees by, 213, 318, 415: 
of bee-poison, like that of banana, 
413; of their own poison, irri- 
tates bees, 413; sense of, very 
perfect in bee, 415. 

Smoke. importance of,for subduing 
bees,' 29, 193, 194, 471; use of, 
may interfere with catching 
queen, 192; drives clustered bees 
from outside of hive, 303 ; effect 
of,in causing bees to gorge them- 
selves, noticed by Aristotle, 431. 

Smothering bees, cautions for pre- 
venting, 305. 

Snails, sometim.es covered by bees, 
with propolis, 88. 

Snow, bees perish on, when carry- 
ing out their dead, 102 ; not so 
fatal to bees, as many suppose, 
327, 476 ; may sometimes re- 
quire bees to be shut in, 328 ; 
colonies buried in, have wintered 
well, 328, 473. 

SoUdago, see Golden Rod. 

Sontag, F., on meal as a substitute 
for pollen, 95. 

Spare Honey, see Honey, Surplus. 

Spence, on instinct, 425. 

Spermatheca, of the Queen Bee, 
wood-cut of, PI. XVIII, Fig. 55. 

Spermatozoa, found in spermatheca 
of queen-bee, 37; found in work- 
er, but not in drone-eggs, 469. 

Sphinx Atropos, see Moth, Death- 
head. 

Spring, importance of sun-heat, in, 
to hives, 122 ; colonies should 
be well provisioned, in, 321,346; 
neglect to feed bees in, cruel and 
wasteful, 346 ; feeding bees in, 
to encourage early breeding, 
should be moderate, 347. 



Sprinkling bees, should not be done 
to excess, 212 

Starving of bees, often happens 
when there is honey in hive, 
323 ; how to prevent in mo v. 
comb hive, 323, 465, 470, 478. 

Stin^, Bevan's description of, 61; 
loss of, fatal to bees, 63 ; wood- 
cut of, PI. XVII, Fig. 53; loss 
of in stinging, a benefit to man, 
63; sometimes ejected, when bees 
do not attack, 413. 

Sting, Poison of, remedies for, 419- 
422 ; most remedies for, good 
for nothing, 419; instant extrac- 
tion of sting, best remedy for, 
419; rubbing the wound, aggra- 
vates effect of, 420 ; Mr. Wag- 
ner's remedy for, 420 ; different 
remedies for, required by differ- 
ent persons, 421 ; remedies for, 
should be applied instantly, 421; 
human system may be inured to, 
422 ; amusing remedy for, 422. 

Stinging, bees when gorged, disin- 
clined to, 27, 408 ; risk of dimin- 
ished by use of mov. comb hive, 
240 ; disinclinatian of gorged 
bees for, foundation of Author's 
system of management, 408 ; 
di^ea5ed bees inclined to, 409; 
effect of, sometimes dangerous, 
412 ; those suflTering most from, 
most liable to, 412 ; risk of, not 
increased by very close proximi- 
ty to hive, 419 ; Italian bee, less 
inclined to, than common bee, 
446, 449, 477. 

Stocks, feeble, waste of time on, 
253, in danger from moth and 
less vigilant in self-defense, 256, 
and how to strengthen, in mov. 
comb hive, 258; strong, their 
OM^n best defenders, 274 ; how 
to select good ones, 302 ; 
danger of moving, if comb is 
new, 304 ; old, foolish preju- 
dices against, 312; feeble, can- 
not maintain heat enough to 
winter well, 315 ; should not be 



INDEX. 



531 



made over populous for Winter, 
315 ; small, how to winter in 
mov. comb hive, 318; doubled, 
winter well, 320 ; strong, often 
most disposed to rob, and com- 
pared to rich oppressors, 335 ; 
feeble or queenless, quickly 
found out by robbers, 336 ; 
strong, may be ruined by unskill- 
ful attempls to prevent robbing, 
343 ; small, how to build up, by 
feeding, 350 ; how far increase 
of, may be ordinarily carried, 
without feeding, 352 ; very 
small, should be broken up in 
Fall, 354, 456. 
Stocks, Union of, see Union of 

Colonies. 
Stomach of worker, v/ood-cut of, 

PI. XVII, Fig. 54. 
Storsch, Count, his account of a 

superannuated queen, 278. 
Stoves, air-tight, deficient in ven- 
tilation, 131 ; Franklin, a good 
kind of, (note) 131. 
Straw matting, use of, for protect- 
ing hives, 434. 
Sugar-Candy, see Candy. 
Sugar-water, use of, to pacify 
bees, 28, 193, 194 ; scented, use 
of, for uniting colonies, 316. 
Sulphur, use of, in killing eggs 

and worms of bee-moth, 80. 
Sun, heat of, important to bees, in 
Spring, 122; in Summer, very 
injurious to thin hives, 127 ; 
hives for new swarms, should 
not be exposed to, 155. 
Sunday, swarming on, how pre- 
vented, 202, 485. 
Superstitions about bees, 89. 
Surplus Honey,see Honey, Surplus. 
Swallow, address of Grecian poet, 

to a bee-eating, 274. 
Swammerdam, great merits of, 
as an observer, (note) 72 ; his 
drawing of queen's ovaries, PI. 
XVIII. 
Swarm, number of bees in a good 
one, 59 ; feeble, how to strength- 



en in mov. comb hive, 107 j 
will settle without tanging, 141 ; 
more inclined to fly away, if 
bees are neglected, 141 ; how to 
prevent, from deserting a new 
hive, 142 ; how to arrest a fugi- 
tive, 142 ; how to know whether 
it intends to stay or not, 142 j 
clustering of, before departure, 
of special benefit to man, 144; 
can be made to alight on a se- 
lected spot, 144; when cluster- 
ed, sends out scouts, 145 ; how 
parent hive isre-populaled, alter 
departure of, 147 ; is composed 
of young and old bees, 147 ; 
none of bees composing, return 
to parent hive, 147,224 ; a first, 
may throw a swarm in a few 
v/eeks, 154 ; someiimes goes 
into hive having empiy combs 
but very seldom, of ils own ac- 
cord, into an empiy hive, 156; 
small trees, convenient lor clus- 
tering of, 156 ; hiving of, should 
not be long delayed, 157 ; more 
than one, often alight logether, 
(note) 160; should be put on 
intended stand, as .soon as hived, 
163; late or feeble, usually of 
liltle value in common hive, but 
can be strengthened in mov. 
comb hive, 164 ; rapid decrease 
of bees of, soon after hiving, 
176 ; how to make one new, 
from two old ones, 211; how to 
double safely, 212 ; doubled, 
apt to build excess of drone 
comb; 231 ; large, usually yields 
much surplus honey, 231 ; how 
to manage, so as to set it in 
place of parent stock, 291, 479; 
queenless, should be broken up, 
if no queen can be given, 294 ; 
builds worker-comb, if queen is 
mature, even though unfertile, 
294 ; how to procure, from a 
distance, and then transfer to a 
suitable hive, 305; when very 
early, may need feeding, 460 ; 



532 



INDEX. 



how to decide, from what hive 
it issued, 4fil ; issue of, in 
September, 463. 

Swarming, indisposes bees to re- 
turn to parent hive, 147, 224 ; 
unseasonable, often caused by 
famine, 143 j causes bees to 
mark position of their new 
abode, 148, 479 ; may be indefi- 
nitely postponed, on account of 
unfavorable weather, 171 ; ap- 
pearance of, how to imitate at 
any time, 197 ; sometimes pre- 
vented by clipping queen's wings 
199 ; prevented by shutting in 
queen, 201, 485; may be pre- 
vented on Sunday,2L'2 ; effect of, 
in diminishing yield of honey, 
206 ; natural, how to conduct, so 
as to secure an annual increase 
of one stock from two, 2 13 ; early, 
importance of, (note) 435. 

Swarming, artificial, see Artificial 
Swarming. 

Swarming, Natural, see Natural 
Swarming. 

Swarming Season, commencement 
and duration of, 138, 154. 

T. 

" Taking up bees," facilitated by 
mov. comb hive, 240 ; mistakes 
as to proper time for, (note) 4U1. 

Temperature, extremes of, injuri- 
ous to bees, 114; protection 
against sudden variations of, 
114 ; of bees, high, even in 
"Winter, 115. 

Theories, often fail when put to a 
practical test, 238. 

Thistle, Canada, a good bee-plant, 
389. 

Thompson, quotation from, on kill- 
ing bees. 252. 

Time of bees, economized in mov. 
comb hive, 99 ; importance of 
saving, 399. 

Timid, persons, may safely remove 
surplus honey, 381 ; females, 



need not fear a bee, away from 
its hive, 41 0. 

Tin, for punching hole in Combs, 
324, (note) 482. 

Toad, eats bees, 274. 

Tobacco, should not be used for 
subduing bees, 193; a remedy 
for bee-stings, 421. 

Transferring bees, from common, 
to mov. comb hive, 307-314; 
best season for, 307 ; manner of, 
308, (note) 456 ; cautions re- 
specting, 310, 313 ; how to man- 
age, so as to prevent robbing, 
314; may be done inWinter,470. 

Transportation of bees, easy in 
mov. comb hive, 103. 

Trees, combs built on, by bees, 
146; small ones desirable, near 
hives, 151^; substitute fur, to se- 
cure swarms, 156 ; limbs of, 
need not be cut, in hiving bees, 
160 , shade of. congenial to bees, 
301; honey-producing, ought to 
be planted, 390. 

Tulip-Tree, see Liriodendron. 



Union of colonies, facilitated by 
giving them the same smell, 
213, 416, 417, manner of effect- 
ing, particularly described, 314- 
321 ; how effected in common 
hives, 316, and in mov. comb 
hive, 317 ; how most safely to 
effect, 417. 

^. 

Varnish, u.sed by bees, in place of 
propolis, 87, 90. 

Ventilation, furnished to larva, by 
shape of cells, 85; more required 
in thin hives in Winter, even 
than in Summer, 117; of hives, 
how effected by bees, 124 ; Hu- 
ber's experiments on, 125; bees 
cannot live without, 126; shame- 
fully neglected, 128; skill of 
bees in a reproof to man, 128 ; 



INDEX. 



6BB 



needed most in houses, in North- 
ern climates, 129, 132 ; laborious 
to bees, 129 ; of houses, well se- 
cured by open fires, 131; neglect 
of, tends to degeneracy in hu- 
man beings, and impairs health 
and beauty of women, 132; 
close stoves deficient in, 133 ; 
Downing, on neglect of, (note) 
134 ; easily controlled in mov. 
comb.hive, 135 ; should be liberal, 
in very hot weather, 463; from 
above, needed in Winter, to car- 
ry off dampness, 471-478. 

Vice, effect of, on man, compared 
to ravages of moth, 244. 

Virgil, ascribes something of Di- 
vme intelligence to the bee, 94; 
describes ItaUan bee, 440. 

W. 

Wagner, Samuel, letter of, on mov. 
comb hive, 17-19; on power of 
queen over development of eggs, 
52 ; theory of, on how queen 
determines sex of egg, 41 ; his 
account of bees building combs 
on a tree, 146 ; letter of, on over- 
stocking, 393-396 ; on profits of 
bee-keeping, 401 ; remedy of, for 
sting of bee, 420; letter of, on 
Italian bee, 441-453; attempt of. 
to import Italian bee, 454. 

War, how waged by different 
colonies, 339. 

Wasps, fecundation of, 37 ; why 
they do not live over Winter, in 
a colony state, 68; injure fruit, 
and how to repress increase of, 
97; torpid in Winter, 114; not 
killed by cold, 137; curious 
anecdote of, 426. 

Water, should be given to bees, 
when confined, 222 ; soaking 
comb in, destroys eggs and larvae 
of moth, 260 ; indispensable to 
bees, when working, 357; how 
gathered by them, 357 ; deficien- 
cy of, may check breeding, 357 ; 



how to supply, in hive, 358 ; 
cold, a remedy for bee-stings, 
421 ; hives with upward ventila- 
tion may need supply of,in Win- 
ter, 478. 

Wax, scales of, wood-cuts of, PL 
XIII, Figs. 37 and 38 ; secreted 
from honey, 77 ; pouches for, 77, 
wood-cut of, PI. XIII, Fig. 38 ; 
Ruber, on secretion of, 78 ; pol- 
len may aid in secretion of, 78 ; 
analysis of, 79 ; large amount of 
honey consumed in secretion of, 
79 ; high temperature necessary, 
for w^orking of, 79 ; beautiful 
adaptation shown in secretion of, 
79 ; bees will use old, in comb- 
building, (note) 82 ; advantages 
of its being a bad conductor of 
heat, 83 ; hovv^ to render, from 
comb, 375. 

Wells, A., experience of, in culti- 
vating buckwheat, 388. 

Wetherell, Dr. C. M., his Analysis 
of royal jelly, 70. 

White Clover, see Clover, white. 

VViegal, Rev. Pvlr., first recommend- 
ed candy, as a bee-feed, 358. 

Wild Colonies, circumstances un- 
der which they flourish, 118. 

Willow, varieties of, abound in 
honey and pollen, 382. 

Wildman, Mr , feats of, in hand- 
ling bees, 407. 

Winds^ bees should be protected 
against, 300 ; strong, very inju- 
rious to bees in Winter, 322,473. 

Winter, wasps and hornets but not 
bees, torpid in, 114 ; hives in, 
should be sheltered from strong 



ids. 



cold climates. 



often fatal to bees, 322 ; bees 
often starve in, though having 
honey, 323 ; hov/ to prevent this, 
in mov. comb hive, 324, 465,478 ; 
temporary removal of colonies 
in, to a warm room, 326 ; hives 
in, should not be entirely shut 
up, 327 ; how to concentrate 
honey of hive, for use of bees in, 



534 



INDEX. 



360 ; holes in spare honey-board 
should be left open in, 435, 471- 
478, 

Wintering Bees, dry and dark cel- 
lar, suitable for, 116, 328, 329, 
476 ; best done, when bees are 
kept quiet, 116; difficult when 
stocks are over-populous, or 
quite small, 315; remarks on, 
321-334 ; on their Summer stand, 
322 ; how to get proper commu- 
nications m combs for, 324, 465, 
482 ; Dzierzon's special deposi- 
tory for, 329 ; Mr. Quimby on, 
329-333 ; requires caution in re- 
moving thera out of Winter quar- 
ters, 332, 466, 476 ; quantity of 
honey needed for, 361; how to 
guard against dampness in mov. 
comb hive, 435, 471-478. 

Wives, a friendly word to, 280. 

Wood-cuts, explanation of, 481- 
492. 

Worker-comb, not built unless bees 
have a hatched queen, 174 ; 
built by bees, having mature 
but unfertile queen, 294 ; wood- 
cut of, PI. XV, Fig. 48. 

Woman, health and beauty of, im- 
paired by neglect of ventilation, 
132. 

Worker-Bees. sometimes fertile,39 ; 



eggs of fertile, produce drones 
only, 39 ; Ruber's theory of 
origin of fertile, 39 ; v^ood-cuts 
of, (natural and magnified,) PL 
XII, Figs. 35 and 36 ; wood-cut 
of stomach and honey-bag of, 
(magnified,) PI. XVII, Fig. 54 ; 
number of, in a swarm, 59 ; de- 
scription of, 59 ; are all unde- 
veloped females, 59 ; fertile, how 
developed, 60, prefer to lay in 
drone cells, 60 ; use of proboscis 
of, 61 ; wood-cut of proboscis of, 
(magnified) PI. XVI, Fig. 51 ; 
wood-cut of abdomen of, PI. 
XVI, Fig. 52; receptacles for 
pollen of, 61 ; duties of, 63 ; wax 
making and nursing, Ruber's 
account of, 218. 

Worms, see Bee-moth, Larvse of. 

Wormwood, use of, for driving 
away robbing bees, 343. 



Youth, a friendly word to, 283. 



ZollickofFer, H. M.; his account of 
bees, building combs on a tree, 

146. 



LBN 



